Chasing the Wind
by ShadowTheGayhog
Summary: While the world is crumbling around him, a certain blue hedgehog is dissatisfied with life. A similar black hedgehog has no knowledge or memory of a life he once had. The two meet, and an unlikely bond is formed. As war breaks out around them, can they deal with their personal endeavors and struggles, or they will be succumb to fate? (T/M rating. Shadow/Sonic. Medieval AU).
1. Chapter 1

**Yo, yo. You have stumbled across my Sonadow Sonic the Hedgehog AU. Yeehaw. It's pretty much a medieval AU, because those are my favorite things (yes I realize it's also probably a common/cliche AU for Sonic but I wrote this for fun!) The only thing I know on the subject of middle ages/fantasy/medieval is what I've read from some books and also from video games (mainly Skyrim yee). Hopefully I did okay.**

**Regarding the universe, it takes characters from several series'. It involves stuff from the video games, from Sonic X, and yes, from Sonic Underground and the SatAM series.  
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** Disclaimer: I do NOT own any characters in this story. I don't own the plot devices from the original stories. I don't own the lyrics to any songs. I am writing this for fun, not for money or whatever else.**

**So yeah... enjoy, yo. Reviews are welcome. Don't be afraid to critique; I strive to be better. (^ w ^)/  
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**Chasing the Wind**

Author: Simon/Cookie

Editors: April

Cover art by: Neil

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_ Who am I?_

_ What am I?_

_ What is my purpose?_

_ Why can't I... remember anything...?_

_His memories weren't even a blur. They were non-existent. While they dwelled within the reaches of the mind, they were never very clear. They were absent from conscience grasp. Even if he was able to touch it, they would always be a fingers' length away. Perhaps occasionally they reached for him as well, allowing his digits to brush gently across their hazy surface, before withdrawing like a startled animal, teasing the begging digits. Sometimes, if they had a voice, they would be giggling lightly with mischievousness or torture, watching the beggar becoming increasingly distressed, yelling over and over;_

Why can't I remember!

_ That was a question that wouldn't be answered anytime soon. Or at least, he assumed that, because no matter what he did he couldn't get past the oceans of mist that were just the tip of the iceberg within his memories. When he thought that he might have remembered something, it escaped him like smoke through fingers. It was a frustrating, yet expected endeavor that he had experienced all too often._

_ Thus far, he only had a memory of a few days. He had only been alive, been a conscience being, for only a few days. In that time, he had no time to stop and truly mull over his situation; after he got out, he was running._

_ Running, Running,_

_ Running._

_~facing every moment day by day,_

_take a chance, slip on by, got no time to answer why,_

_head straight, i head straight,_

_what will i become if i don't look back,~_

_(Never Turn Back - Crush 40)_

_ His feet were constantly moving, never stopping, never faltering. Even when his strength was depleted and gone, he still ran. His legs were on auto pilot. His mind was a swamp, hardly moving, hardly changing, just sitting in a lethargic slump. That was his brain at the moment; it didn't move, it didn't shift. It simply dwelled on the basic notion that he had to keep running._

_ They were after him._

_ When he stopped for breath, for water, for basic bodily needs, they were there. As he lurked past them among the shadows, he saw them. They called for him, rasping, dangerous voices echoing through his ears, filling him with a fear that he felt shouldn't be there. Although he couldn't understand what they were saying, his instincts told him they were beckoning for him; searching every nook and cranny for even the faintest trace of his presence. It happened each time he stopped for a quick breather or to sip some water from a puddle or stream. Somehow, they were invariably on his tail. Sometimes he could feel their blades' tips brush against his fur when they got impatient and swung their swords around angrily, hoping to get a beat on him. He was always long gone, however. He was, luckily, too quick for his clumsy pursuers._

_ Whoever his pursuers were, they weren't all that good at anything , save for making noises and tripping over stones in a drunken fashion. They were loud and boisterous; incessantly making noise with their feet and mouths. They ceaselessly clashed their swords and axes, filling the air with sharp _tings _that were sure to startle anything nearby. It was possibly the only reason he managed to actually get away so efficiently. That and they were _slow. _They had ridiculous, bulky statures that towered over all neighboring beings. Their muscles were meatier than Chris Redfield's; they extended out unnaturally, pressing against their armor and making their movement look extremely uncomfortable and inconvenient._

_ As opposed to him. While he had no memory of what he looked like (if he had a memory of it at all), he knew that he was scrawny. He could see his bare toes and feet, filthy from running through muck. His fur and claws was caked with mud and bits of foliage. His legs were long, extending from a skinny body. Although he wasn't malnourished by any means, he wasn't exactly fatty either. It was evident he hadn't eaten in days, and perhaps that lack of nourishment had been going on long before his memory recalled. It was difficult finding food, seeing how any moments he had to himself between the bouts of running was spent trying to rest._

_ He had managed to get away... for now. He had found a crack between a few trees. It was good shelter and a good hiding place._

_ Hiding was not something that seemed instinctual to him. Sure, he was a hedgehog, which were prey, but he felt as if it was natural for him to confront problems head-on. All this running... this vulnerability... it wasn't something his mind or body was designed to do. However, in his weakened state, there wasn't much else he _could _do. Limpness tugged at his limbs, and he knew in this languid state that he wouldn't be able preform any basic fighting moves. Perhaps a punch or two... but his energy was already strained from days of running. Even when he first seemed to regain conscientiousness, it felt as if his body had been around the world twelve times in a row._

_ His bones ached, his muscles felt strained. He didn't want to keep running; he wanted, _needed, _rest. Just to stop his frantic movements for more than half a night would be a blessing. His pursuers may have been large, clumsy creatures, but they were still quick and efficient at their job, While their blundering did little good, their tracking skills were outrageous and, quite frankly, extremely frustrating. A few times he considered trying to steal a blade from a thick man and confronting them, but in his current state, there was no hope for winning, he would just be quickening his own death._

_ Maybe that was what was best._

_ His mind was instinctively dark. His attitude was pensive and pessimistic. It was no surprise that he had considered his own death more than once. The only reason he didn't pursue the thought was that it would be a coward's way out; it was an idiotic way out. He needed a better plan than that, one that would ensure his survival. Or... at least bring the odds of his survival up. Right now, as he ran, he barely stood a chance; he was growing weaker with each pump of his legs. He wasn't sure he could lift a common sword, let alone swing it hard enough to break flesh._

_ He needed a plan._

_ Plans came naturally to him. He was a planner. A thinker. He couldn't recall any examples, but his brain felt as if it was sharp. Unfortunately, his physical condition was affecting him mentally. While his memories dangled in front of his outstretched, desperate fingers, he felt as if his mind were a swamp. He knew there was a vast amount of information there, but it was all lost in the fog and beneath the murky water. When he tried to look for the thoughts, they seemed to distance themselves from him, drifting away, breaking the seemingly endless stagnant water._

_ It was a frustrating endeavor. He felt like an idiot within his own mind. All he could do was run. Run, drink, and sleep for only a few hours at a time before he was forced awake by their voices nearing his resting spot, which was normally in an alleyway of a small village or beneath a bush away from the road. How they kept __finding him, he didn't know. They found him often, to the extent that he was starting to realize there was something very wrong. They were bumbling idiots out for blood, how could they possibly keep finding him, even with him hiding in the least obvious of hiding spots?_

_ There was something his mind wasn't telling him, something that was being left out. However, he couldn't focus nearly enough to recall, so__ he kept running. And running. And running._


	2. Chapter 2

He woke with a start to the noise he had heard since childhood.

He'd been dreaming.

This, of course, wasn't anything unusual. Dreaming was something he did in both the sleeping and waking world, so it was no concern or oddity. It was _what _he dreamed that drew him to the unreal, fantasy world of his mind. The long expansions of grass, the endless bright blue sky dotted with puffy, benign clouds. Sometimes, his dreams were so real, he could _feel _the grass between under his feet, tinkling between his toes. He could _feel _the sun sink into his fur, warming him to the soul. It was nice, welcoming, _free. _

_ Within the contents of his mind he was happiest._

"Are you alright, my Lord?" The voice disrupted his thoughts and forced his eyes to open. At once the dream seemed to be gone, disappearing to the back of his mind once more. It was replaced, instead, with the image of his own room. As he pushed himself up in bed, he glanced around his room to confirm where he was. The wood walls covered in paintings, the large windows with beautiful curtains, the shelves covered in dusty books. It was all the same to him. Everything was overly extravagant, including the rugs on the floor and the sheets on his bed.

"No worries." He said finally, putting a facade up to hide his disappointment that the dream wasn't actually real. "I'm fine." He looked at the servant now, who stood a respectful amount away from his lavish bed. The one who normally woke him up in the morning was a brown weasel. He was an old mammal who had been tending to him personally since he was a tiny hedgehog, weened off his mother's milk.

"If it is okay with you, I will send breakfast up, my Lord." The servant said, using the name he hated so much. 'My Lord'. For some unknown reason, it bugged him greatly that all the servants used it on him. However, he knew it was proper, and if he told them not to use it, they still would.

Putting it aside like usual, he put his hand to his fuzzy belly just as it growled. "Yeah." He replied.

The weasel whipped around, faced the door and clapped once. The door opened, and a young serval servant came creeping in, a long tray in hand. It was his breakfast, usually served on a tray right up to his room. His breakfasts were always very elaborate, including meats, fruit, bread and milk. Sometimes wine, but that was normally for latter meals like lunch and supper. The serval set it down gently on the table next to his bed and bowed respectfully before speeding out of the room once more, probably off to do another task.

The weasel turned to him once again, "By the way, Sir, it's Monday. It's time to get ready for your lessons. After breakfast, of course."

He inwardly groaned, having no desire to sit in a chair for several hours and listen to his instructor teach him about history and literature. It was incredibly boring, and after a half an hour he was normally insanely fidgety and ready to move onto something else that wasn't as nearly as will-draining. Sometimes it seemed like death would be a savior his lessons were so boring.

He scooted to the edge of the large bed and nibbled on a chunk of cheese as the servant began pulling out some clothes from his wardrobe. While the weasel lacked any clothing, it was only natural that the nobility and royalty had clothing (he found it more to be a nuisance, but he was expected to be decked on in the beautiful garb, so he did).

"Is this alright for you, my Lord?" The weasel asked as he showed him the clothes he picked out. His eyes darted up and down the selection. It seemed time. Leather breeches, tunic... wait.

"What are those?" He suddenly asked, leaping off the bed and darting over, pointing at the boot as he went.

They were new, freshly polished leather boots.

"Your old ones were, uh, incredibly worn out, my Lord... we replaced them last night when you were prepping for bed." The weasel explained, slightly startled by the sudden outburst of his Master.

He growled lightly, not prone to anger but quite flustered at the new boots. He _hated _getting new shoes, especially when he was so grown to the other ones. They were made of an old, dark brown leather than were perfect for his feet. They fit nicely, flexed nicely and could handle his abuse. There new ones were just going to hurt his delicate feet.

"Where'd you put the old ones?"

"Uh, gone, Sir... we threw them out, my Lord. They probably belong to a peasant now..." The weasel said, flattening his ears at the sudden, unnatural aggression of his normally calm and euphoric Master.

He sighed, pulling away and putting a smile back on his face. "It's fine... I guess. I just really liked those boots. I'll just have to make due with these ones." He said, shrugging and going back to his breakfast. It was a terrible way to ruin the morning (not that it was that great to begin with), but he knew the destruction of his old shoes was inevitable. He nibbled at some of the bread and grapes before deciding he didn't want it anymore, and he pushed the tray away and downed the milk instead. He was a bit old for milk, but the creamy constancy felt nice in his throat.

"Here are your clothes, Sir. And I must remind you... your instructor is likely expecting you." With that said, the weasel put the clothes down on his bed and took the breakfast tray. With a respectful bow he left the room.

He was alone now.

Sighing, he dragged his gaze over his clothes pensively. Clothes were so uncomfortable. They rubbed against his fur and overheated him in the summer. However, for a person-in-power like him, it was only proper. Others of a much lower status walked around with maybe some shoes, or breeches, or nothing, he had a full outfit. While it made him look rather handsome, it was more of an inconvenience.

He pulled on his pants, his shirt, belt, tunic, socks and finally the boots. They slipped up a little over halfway to his knees, and his feet felt trapped within the leather walls. He bit his lip as he tried to wiggle his toes. The leather was still stiff and new. It was high-quality stuff, he knew, but he preferred cheap, worn leather; it allowed his feet to have room.

Walking was even worse. At first, he waddled, then he began to pick up stiff but normal strides. With this awkward step, he left the room and began his trek through the halls to one of the building's towers that had the smaller study-library within. It was a small but modest room with a large desk and some shelves filled with books. A tall, dusty window overlooked the courtyard and a good portion of the city. He often found himself looking out that very window, imagining he was out there, instead of being cooped up in a stuffy room learning about things he wasn't particularly interested in.

He was taught mostly history, literature, writing, war strategies... it was all very boring stuff. It caused him to yawn and fidget and he'd often get a ruler lapped over his knuckles in his younger days for dozing off.

His younger brother was more into the war strategies, but was even less interested in history than he was. His brother often just left in the middle of lessons, not bothering with the boring material. Their sister was the only one taking a genuine interest in all the subject-manner, and struggled to keep her brothers in-line.

Thinking about it caused him to smile affectionately for the sake of his siblings. They were very dear to him, even though his brother was rude and shifty, and his sister was constantly scolding the two of them (mostly his brother, though).

Upon arriving to the previously mentioned room, he was met with the scent of scrolls and old, dusty books. It was a smell he knew well, and wasn't particularity comforted by. He meandered over to the long wooden desk in the center of the room and sat down.

He recalled when he and his siblings had lessons at the same time in the same room. It was so much fun back then when all three of them would giggle and laugh and learn together. Sometimes even play pranks on the instructor or whispered behind his back when something was very boring. Of course, his sister often rolled her eyes, but she reluctantly joined in as well. Learning was easier back then.

That was years ago, however. Since then they had gained their own personal teachers and had different schedules to set them all up for different things. His brother had gone on to study war tactics, fighting techniques, in-depth military history and ect. They were preparing him to be a military leader since he was the third born. Their sister and second born, had a similar path, but was concentrating more on tactics. They had no plans for her to be out fighting (of course when she found out, she was absolutely furious, but held her tongue). In her free time, she often snuck away to study medicine and healing. This was something strange for a person of her status to be studying, but only he and his brother knew, so they both kept it a secret to avoid trouble.

He, of course, was taught war techniques, history, literature, and everything under the sun because... they were training him to be the future King.

Lessons were long and rough that morning. His instructor was ridiculously harsh, and gave him a stern look any time he so much as shifted in his seat. He found himself zoning out often, like usual, and instead staring at the much more interesting wooden desk. There were cuts, stains and splinters in it from many years of abuse. He began shoving the tip of his quill into a shallow cut and filling it with ink until it overflowered and created a mess.

"...and I'm sure as you remember – are you _listening?!_"

The whack of his instructor's stick on the edge of his desk made him jump. He put down the quill quickly and glanced up. He was being stared down by the instructor – who was rather tall, rather intimidating feline. Very few dared to speak down to the Prince – or any of the King's children, for that matter.

"Hah," He laughed nervously, "Of _course _I was listening! I was listening to every word, because, everything you say it just so interesting...~"

"Right. Then I suppose you could repeat what I just told you?"

"Er..."

"Thought so." The feline slammed the stick down on the table then sighed, "I know you have trouble focusing, my Prince, but you need to learn these things. We've been on this subject for many days now- it should have been completed last week! Your sister learned this last _year!" _

He flicked his ears, not making eye contact. "I know, I know. I'll try harder tomorrow."

The feline stared him down for a few more moments before withdrawing. "Today's lesson is over. I will have a talk with your father when he can hear what I have to say about your... 'progress'."

The Prince jumped out of his seat, "Wait! No! Don't tell Father! I promise I'll do better tomorrow. I'm just so tired today... and fidgety." To reenforce what he just said, he danced where he sat, flopping his limbs a few times.

The feline rolled his eyes, "If I had a gold piece for every time I heard that, I'd be the richest cat on the entire planet. Today's lesson is over. If you want to look into what you 'learned' today, take this book with you and read Chapter 4 when you can." The feline picked up a dusty book from the edge of the desk and handed it to him. "By the way, my Prince, I hear they're going to have a hunting party this afternoon..." The feline added before he could turn away to the door. "I know how much you like going with them. If you hurry, you could be included in the party, however, I'd really prefer it if you read inst-..."

Before the feline finished the sentence, the Prince's ears were perked and he had darted out of the room at nearly an unnatural speed. Once of the room, he walked as quickly down the hallway, down the stairs and out into the courtyard through a side-door, avoiding the main throne room where his father would likely be, discussing war strategies and other relations with his Commanders.

The courtyard was nice and sunny. It was dotted with random soldiers or guards, some training, others sitting around and sharing a drink. When they saw him, they all gave him a respectful nod. Servants bowed shallowly, giving him the utmost respect before continuing on their way. He ignored the various stares and made his way towards the stables. The smell of hay and manure hit him as he entered, and of course, was met only by horses and the stableboy, who was cleaning the horse's hay.

The stableboy was a small, young lizard whose scales were filthy from dirty work. Upon the Prince's arrival, he bowed deeply and offered him a horse he just finished brushing.

"Depends - did the afternoon hunting party leave yet?" He asked, almost cutting the boy off from his prior question.

The boy blinked in surprise, "Not that I know of. To my knowledge, it's only, uh, late morning, my Prince."

He blinked, then glanced out the open door at the sun. It was nearly sun-high; it would be a few hours before the party would leave.

"Awwwgghhh," He whined, leaning against the wooden frame of the door.

The Prince was impatient to leave. It had been weeks since he was able to leave – his legs were itching and twitching to be able to move properly.

"Um, my Prince, if you wish, I could inform them when they come for their horses that you were here..." The stableboy suggested in a quiet, guarded tone.

He thought for a moment, then turned to the stableboy, "Yeah, thanks." He put a hand to his belly, hearing it growl, "I'm going to the kitchens." He thought out loud before rushing out of the stables, leaving the young lizard to prep horses.

x x x

He was practicing his swordplay with a guard in the courtyard when he was called to the stables. He straightened up from his attacking pose and drew an arm over his brow; his fur was sticky with salty sweat. Under the sun, he had taken off his tunic and shirt, leaving his fluffy chest bare. There was no harm, since they had fought with wooden practice sticks. He tossed the stick down and gave the guard a wave as if to say 'nice fight'.

He pulled his clothes back on as he followed the stableboy to the stables, where a few guards along with some warriors stood, preparing their horses. A familiar face and his own personal instructor for swordplay, a brown coyote by the name of Sir Antoine D'Coolette. He was an relatively annoying coyote with good intentions and a thick, ridiculous accent. His attitude was slightly bigoted, however, his arrogance was much more deflated. He greeted the Prince civilly, but he could see the underlying annoyance towards the hedgehog. Not that it bothered him, he just shrugged it off like usual and went to collect his horse, which had been prepared for the trip by the stable boy a while ago.

"Afternoon, my Prince," one of the party members said as he came back with his horse, reins in hand. "I didn't expect you to be coming with us. Normally you have to hang back for lessons."

"Not today," He grinned and pulled himself up onto the great beast. "Where are we going?"

"Well... we were planning on heading east near the river... However, if you'd rather go somewhere else, my Prince..." he trailed off, looking expectant.

"That sounds fine!" He said, "Now let's get going!" His impatience flared once again, and before most of the others could mount their horses he was off, crossing the courtyard and making his way through the city streets. People milled around him, bowing respectfully as he passed. He waved a few times at some of the citizens. It wasn't too strange to see royalty or nobility on the streets.

His horse barely managed to swerve through the throngs of people as he neared the city gates. They were all out doing their shopping or selling, heading to taverns or back to their homes. Poor kids darted around between their feet, groping for scraps and handouts. This, he ignored, because his head was currently in the clouds. Antoine had caught up by now, along with the others, but they trailed behind him a few feet, struggling to control their mounts.

He slowed down, looking down a decrepit street that weaved through a couple of buildings. It was a shortcut through some of the poorest regions of the city. It was pure slum, but it was several minutes quicker than taking the main street. He was almost ready to send his horse through the filthy street, but Antoine's annoying voice yelled at him,

"Prince! Prince, you know how dangerous it is that way. We must not allow you to go down such a street." He served his horse in front of his, glaring at him.

The Prince rolled his eyes, "Aw c'mon Ant. It'll be real quick! The faster we get out into the forest the better!"

"It is a dangerous shortcut, my Prince..." of of the party members – a sterling – looked at him with concern. "We can hurry down the main street instead. It will be just as quick if we go fast..."

It was a lie, but this arguing wasn't going to get him out of the city any faster. Sticking his tongue out at Antoine (he's an adult he swears), he turned his horse away from the shortcut and trotted down the main street once more. It took longer, the Prince knew, but now that they were approaching the gates, it hardly mattered.

Outside the gate he picked up the pace, until his horse was at a full-gallop. The sound of her hooves hitting the stone path was rhythmical; it was music to his ears, and he was happy to be moving fast for once. Behind him, the others struggled to get up to his speed. He could feel the disapproval coming off Antoine in waves, but he hardly cared. He was sure to get one of his rants in the near future, but for now, he allowed himself to relax and be free.

It was a short ride to the river, and even he slowed down as they started riding through narrower forest paths. While they walked, he began hanging back, allowing his horse to fall behind to others and trail lethargically along. He gave her a pat on the shoulder, "Good... you did good," he praised gently. The horse snorted happily, swishing her beautiful tail. The was a brilliant color and the Prince's favorite. Her thin fur was pure white, and she had some pale – almost yellow- specs across her hump and shoulders. Her hooves were dotted with a light gray that seemed more on the blue side. She was to him many years ago when he learned how to ride a horse. Now, he had trained her to be one of the fastest of her kind. Although, with that in mind, that was a pedigree horse and probably shouldn't even be outside the city walls unless she was meant to be shown off.

Once it seemed that the rest of the party paid little attention to him, he weaved off in another direction, forcing his horse off the path and into the forest. He kept looking back until he couldn't even see the others through the trees, then he kicked the horse into a run. He raced through the thin forest, heading to a place he knew all too well. It was a short ride to the familiar landscape, which was a field that extended out into the horizon.. It was the very edge of the forest that surrounded his city. He dropped off his horse with a thud and tied her loosely to a tree "It's okay girl, I'll come back for you, shhh..." He told her as he stroked her muzzle. She didn't look exactly uneasy, but it was best to make sure she understood there was no threat. "You can eat all the fresh grass you want." He added as he gestured to to the tall, lime-green grass.

He walked out into the field. As he walked, he pulled off his boots and wool socks, revealing his fluffy blue feet. His toes wiggled, pressing into the earth beneath them. It felt so... natural. He let out a happy sigh as he felt the land beneath him. He felt the earth's _life_ moving through his veins. It was... nice. It had been too long.

He continued to walk forward as he distanced himself from the forest and his mount, who seemed uninterested in her wayward rider.

The wind began rustling his fur, and he could feel the air touch his skin beneath his pelt. It cooled him to the soul despite the heated sun that hung overhead, offering warm beams of light that counteracted the cold of the wind. Puffy clouds offered no protection from the heat – which was fine to him, because the air cooled him enough for the heat to not be a bother. He halted, stretching his body up to the sky, he could feel his muscles loosen. First his hands, shoulders, then back, then arms, then finally his legs. As the last muscles in the bottom of his feet loosened, he knew he was ready.

Then, in he wisp of dust and blades of grass, he took off: 0 mph to 60 mph in a few seconds.

His feet couldn't handle much more than that, seeing how he lost his good running boots last night to the trash. The friction from running used to be a real problem before he realized it was because of the tremendous heat produced when he moved. He's have to run barefoot until his new ones broke in – which meant slower speeds. He didn't mind though.

Air roared against his flattened ears and his blue fur trembled violently as he ran. It really didn't matter as long as he was going fast. He was born to be quick, he was _born _to not stop.

He, Sonic the Hedgehog, wasn't born to be a Prince. He was born to be _free. _


	3. Chapter 3

Not thinking about the future consequences of his actions often got him into trouble. Like now.

Not that he _cared _Antoine D'Coolette was absolutely _fuming _because Sonic had suddenly taken off without another word and remained missing for several hours, causing the whole hunting party to panic and question his whereabouts.

However, he _did_ care that the coyote decided to tell his father _personally _what Sonic had done. Not only that, he decided to add how Sonic did this almost every time he left the city. This got the Prince ruffled, but he held his tongue. They stood in the throne room now and the coyote stood next to him while he addressed the King, the angry words pouring from his mouth as he occasionally waved his hands animatedly. Obviously nothing was restraining him. Sonic inwardly sighed as he recalled the coyote he knew growing up...

When they were younger, Antoine enjoyed going out into the wilderness with him and his siblings. They'd all sneak out of the city in the early morning or at night and enjoyed the forest. They all liked the freedom they rarely got at home, and while Antoine would fear of being caught (despite being the oldest among them), he let let himself have fun as well. Sonic remembered with amusement when tried to impress his sister, caught in a childhood crush, which was actually hilarious despite only lasting a few months. It often resulting in all of them ending up in bigger trouble, but it was still good fun. That was before Tails was even around (or else the young fox would have joined in their adventures).

They were almost always found, of course, and they all faced severe punishment. It was worth it though: Sonic didn't regret having a good time, especially with his friends.

But as they grew older, Antoine distanced himself from his wayward, blue friend and became an enemy rather than an ally. When Antoine left for a year to train with a swordsman specialist, he came back even worse. His arrogance was flared, and the old coyote was gone, replaced by a new and less desirable one. Sonic was unknown to why, and while he missed their friendship, he often allowed himself to playfully insult him on a constant basis (although whether Antoine knew it was friendly banter or not, he didn't know). It was his own way of preserving their long-gone childhood bond.

Whoever Antoine had become, he didn't like it.

The coyote went on talking, also bringing up how Sonic was falling behind in his lessons. Not only with swordplay, but with his written lessons as well. A look passed through his father's eyes at this, and he sat a bit taller in his chair as he addressed them.

"You may leave now." He told Antoine. The coyote bowed deeply and turned around, leering at the blue Prince before sauntering away. Sonic, fearing his father's next action, pretended to leave as well but was harshly called back. He turned back to the man, not meeting his eye. He knew he did wrong, but he knew this wasn't the time to explain himself. As outspoken as he was, he knew better than to disrespectfully address his King.

"Come." Was all he said as he stood up from his throne. "Take a walk with me.

While he feared him now, his father was a great man, Sonic reflected as he fell into pace alongside him. He was very tall with broad shoulders and thick arms. He was the vision of any great warrior, with many muscles that had won wars and the scars to show it. Sonic himself was scrawny and a majority of his muscles were in his long, powerful legs. He had a petite but bulging belly that came from eating a large amount of food, and his arms were almost as thin as a child's. The young Prince was no strong hedgehog in comparison to his father, who strode with extreme proudness and without vanity.

Their similarities were few and far between. They both had blue fur (obviously) his was a few hues darker (although that was barely noticeable) and their quills were long and healthy.

Sonic walked alongside his father as they exited the giant room through a side door, down a hallway and out into the gardens. The sun was weak now as it fell behind the horizon, casting long, cool shadows across the garden. Plants swelled in around them as they trailed down the dirt path, weaving through bushes dotted with brilliant flowers. Low growing trees that hung down above the path tickled his ears and quills, causing his fur to twitch with the unwelcome sensation.

"The flowers smell nice today," Sonic commented lamely after the nearly _tangible_ tension overwhelmed him. Best to start up some form of conversation before he drove himself crazy with the nagging silence.

"Sonic." His father said, no emotion detected in his voice. That's how Sonic really knew he was in trouble. "Your teacher came by earlier."

"I know! I was just there, remember?" He laughed nervously, hoping his father was making one of his dumb, humorless jokes.

With a hefty sigh (obviously not as amused), his father clarified, "I mean your _other teacher._ He told me you're falling behind as well."

Sonic dipped his head in shame, "Yeah, uh, about that... I'll try harder, I swear. It's just so boring! You know how history is! Only Sonia could get into that. You remember when her, Manic and I were all under the same teacher and she always did so well in history? Actually, she did well in everything...," oops, he was rambling.

"This isn't about your sister, Sonic." His father said, then with another great sigh he halted in the middle of the path. They were in the center of the garden now, where a conversation would go unheard by the castle's servants and residents. "It's about _you._"

"I know! I was only saying..." he trailed off, "I was trying today, I really was. Everything is just so boring and I hate being in that room just writing for _hours _and _hours_."

"Sonic. You are sixteen now. It's time you start taking things seriously." His father cut him off with a stiff voice. "You should have gotten to the next level in your swordsmanship, and you should be _done_ with the section you're doing in your written lessons."

"It's dumb and boring, though!" He repeated, tone loud, not caring that he was yelling at his own father.

"You are being taught how to become ruler of an entire kingdom!" His father hissed, "It doesn't matter if it's boring or dumb! You shouldn't even _think _that! One day, everybody you know, everybody they know, all the children and the mothers and fathers, all the men and the women, they will all look to you. If you can't even focus in a class that goes over something as simple as our countries' history, how are you going to_ govern_ it?!"

Sonic flattened his ears at the rant, knowing every word was true. He wished he could just run away now, but he knew he couldn't. "I know..."

"If you know, why are we having this conversation?" His eyes were hard as he stared at his first-born son.

Sonic didn't say anything at first, then looked up, "It's hard sometimes. I know what I did was wrong, and I know I should be trying harder, but it's so difficult."

His father continued to stare at him or what seemed like a whole lifetime before he exhaled and put a large hand on Sonic's shoulder. "Learning how to become a leader is hard."

"You were _born _to lead, though." Sonic said almost critically. "How could you know..."

"Ah, but Sonic, there was a time when I struggled as well."

His ear twitched and he glanced up at the King, trying to imagine the blue furred hedgehog doing _anything _wrong. He seemed so perfect. He seemed as if he was born and breed to be a King. "Really?"

"Of course. Every great leader struggles. Many a time I didn't know what to do... what decision to make... when I was being taught as a child, I often had a hard time focusing. It's natural. But... I grew out of that by the time I was thirteen. That's why I'm concerned for you, Sonic."

The Prince tried to imagine the king anything less than a great warrior and leader. An image of a young hedgehog sitting in a chair and squirming about as his teacher tried to teach him about the first Great War. It was an amusing vision because that blue hedgehog wasn't him, but his father.

His father smiled slightly at the grin on his son's face, "My brother and I would get into so much trouble."

Sonic snorted, "You and uncle Chuck?"

"Yes, Sir Charles and I got into almost as much trouble as you kids," he put emphasis on _almost. _"I know, must be hard for you to imagine, eh?"

"I bet it was Uncle Chuck that talked you into it," Sonic said deviously.

"Surprisingly, no. I talked _him_ into it."

This caused the Prince to burst out laughing. Uncle Chuck always seemed like a trouble maker, especially in his younger days. The light blue hedgehog was always willing to get into things and to figure out how to finish tasks that were unorthodox. Sonic had learned some of his best tricks from his Uncle.

"Anyway, Sonic... the point is, while I realize it's tough, sometimes you just have to man up and deal with it the best way you can. I know you can do it, because _I _did it." He patted Sonic on the shoulder, "I do have faith you can do it. I know you're a smart, young lad. You just need to apply yourself."

The Prince nodded.

"Now... with that said, I'm doubling your lessons."

This caught Sonic off-guard, and he flicked his ears, "What?!" he nearly shouted.

"You need to make up for lost time. Your lessons will be from Monday to Friday, and you'll do swordplay in the afternoon."

Sonic made a sour expression on his face, but nodded.

"This might cheer you up, however. On Saturdays you'll be with your brother, Manic. It's time you learned more fighting and military tactics if you are to lead the armies into battle." His eyes got a bit darker, "War is upon us, Sonic, I'm sure you know that."

The Prince nodded solemnly. He was all too aware of the status of the Acorn Kingdom and the _Chmńi Krolestí._

Some villages near the border within the Acorn Kingdom were recently attacked and ravaged by the cruel Kżarni Żołnierzi because they refused to become allies with the violent country. _Kż__arni Żołnierzi_ was the name of the dark soldiers that resided in Kżrnii Żołnirzii - literally translating to "The Dark Kingdom". The Chmńi Krolestí had been an enemy of the world for many centuries, and for good reasons. They were an awful country, spreading slavery, destruction and war wherever they went, or rather, "took over". The Kżarni Żołnierzi represented their country well.

They did not hesitate to break into the smallest of villages, set it afire, blunder all the houses, murder all the men and women and take the children into slavery. It wouldn't be surprising that they'd tie up the children and force them watch the death of their fathers or witness the raping _and _murdering of their mothers.

The fact they even asked for an alliance in the first place was ridiculous. What kind of answer did they expect with a reputation like theirs?

Perhaps it was a lame justification of their actions. Either way, tensions were high, and the frequent border raids into their own country made is obvious that the _Kżrnii Żołnirzii_ weren't going to back down anytime soon.

"Anyway." His father's voice dragged him from his thoughts "To my knowledge, it's almost time for supper." The King said, breaking Sonic from his thoughts. "Have dinner, relax in the bath, then have a long sleep, because lessons start bright and early tomorrow." He turned away and walked down the path, disappearing behind a thicket of rose bushes. Sonic, while he was hungry, didn't quite feel like dinner right now. Instead, he plopped down on a stone bench that stood under a cherry tree.

The pink blossoms ruffled in the wind, showering him with petals. The breeze and scent felt nice against his pelt. It was certainly a savior after the short but stressful talk he just had. Reflecting upon it, he did realize that he should probably take himself a bit more seriously.

...Just the mere though of that put a sour look on his face. Life was too short to take yourself seriously! Anybody, for that matter!

Of course, if he voiced that to his father he'd likely get a lichen like he did when he was a child when he did something tremendously wrong (and probably wasn't an exaggeration, unfortunately). While his father knew when to joke, he also knew very well that many situations had to be taken extremely seriously. Being a leader of such power, after-all, involved little free-time and required your absolute focus...

It sounded so mind-numbly boring and terrible he could barely handle it.

_Why couldn't Manic be first-born? Or even Sonia? _He questioned desperately in his head. It was a question he asked himself often. He wouldn't mind being second or third born. As long as he didn't have to take over his father, he'd be happy with any position. At least then he would have a bit more freedom and not so much seriousness.

The whole thing was depressing himself greatly. He just wanted freedom, that's all. The ability to think what he wanted, say what he wanted, and most importantly, _do _what he wanted.

His belly grumbled, releasing him from such despairing thoughts. As his stomach twisted within his body, he decided perhaps that he should leave the depths of the darker part of his mind for now and instead grab something to eat.

Sitting up, he began walking back towards the castle where dinner was surely being served. As he walked, he knew that he had to make the best of the situation he was forced into.

* * *

**Okay, so a quick note on the "Chmńi Krolestí " (and other similar words). This is the opposing country in this AU and it's pretty much the equivalent to the Black Arms. When I was writing, I dubbed the kingdom where Black Doom ruled over "The Black Kingdom." I reflected on how stupid it sounded, so I considered another language. I decided to go with Polish, because the language sounds very... villainous. (The song that inspired me is 'My Lullaby from Lion King II in Polish. If you wanna hear language porn, look it up, hehe). **

**The language I'm using isn't straight though Polish obviously. I'm using it as a base. I changed some things up like letter location, accents and grammar. It'll be showing up a little but later as well; this pseudo-Polish language I've created will also be the dominate language of the **** "Chmńi Krolestí ". And no worries, I'll offer translations at the end of chapters if it's needed, but the meaning should be obvious in the text.**

****** -Chmńi Krolestí (cheem-ni kro-les-tee) = Dark Kingdom **

****** -Kżrnii Żołnirzii = Dark Soldiers  
**

****** -********Chmńi** Zagłada = Black Destruction/Doom  


******I've never done the whole create-a-language thing but I've heard of it being used in fanfiction, so I thought I'd give it a try!**

******Anyway! Thanks for reading! Review if you can because I love feedback. (I'll keep long A/N's to a minimum I swear)  
**


	4. Chapter 4

Lessons were progressing quicker than they had before. Sonic's disposition for them however, had not changed in the slightest. He still detested them.

It had been about week since his lessons were tripled, and his brain was beginning to fry from all the new and accelerated information being forced into his head. He learned about previous leaders and their failed endeavors. He learned about border disputes from 600 years ago, how entire crops failed because of an unknown illness...

To him, it all seemed futile to learn, but he listened anyway. He tried his best, but his efforts weren't showing. His instructor still shook his head at his short-comings.

Luckily, he had his childhood friend to help him. Tails had been good support in the last week. The young orphan was given to Sonic to be a play-buddy when he was a child. Now, he was a servant to the castle and Sonic's cherished friend seemed perfectly content, although sometimes Sonic wondered if he ever wanted to leave the castle and experience another life outside being told what to do and where to go.

The fox would sit with him in the evenings and clarified what Sonic was supposed to be learning. Despite never attending a proper class in his life, he was extremely knowledgeable and understood complicated things very quickly. It was very impressive, and the blue Prince was always astonished by the fox's intelligence. This was the main reason Sonic wanted to send him away form the castle maybe to a college where he could become a scholar or something of the sort, instead of living under direct rule.

He asked him about it once, and Tails said he was honored to be serving the King's children. He remembered nothing of his old life, and he said he wanted to remain Sonic's friend all the way to his grave. The bright fox was extremely loyal to his best friend, and while that was admirable, Sonic hoped he could persuade him one day to follow his own dreams.

Aside from that, Sonic deeply appreciated the help from his practically adopted brother. Even if it was slightly embarrassing he was getting help from an orphaned servant that was several years younger than he.

Despite the difficult lessons and the hours of studying he did in the night. He had been looking forward to Saturday all week. It meant he could be in class with Manic for the first time in years.

He jumped out of his bed that morning, startling his servant, thrilled that he actually got to spend time with his brother. The other wayward hedgehog seemed to always be busy and they rarely got to be with each other other than during supper and maybe during occasional sparing practices or hunting parties.

His serval servant came him a hesitate look. "Excited, Sir?"

"You bet I am." He replied, doing a strange, impatient dance where he stood.

He could tell the servant was amused even though he didn't show it. "Well, since you'll be doing different lessons today I have taken the liberty of preparing your outfit. It's similar to the one you use to train with Sir D'Coolette."

"Thanks." The name of the coyote made him kind of angry, but he brushed it off. It wasn't in his nature to hold grudges, no matter what the other person did.

He got dressed quickly. He pulled on his breeches, boots and tunic. They were terribly fancy for clothes that were meant for getting dirty, Sonic reflected as he tugged at the embroidered edges around the sleeves. The fabric was white and brown with gold trim. His boots had been polished as well. Lastly, the hedgehog pulled on the belt, which felt heavier than usual. Probably because it had a pseudo-sheathe for a sword.

Lastly, he pulled on the chain-mail he was given. The blue Prince felt the weight tug at his neck and shoulders immediately, and he let out an exhale of pain as he tried to get used to the extra weight.

Sonic, too excited to fully eat breakfast, grabbed a chunk of bread and ran out of the room with it shoved in his mouth (true anime) and raced down the hallway.

It was frustrating when he couldn't run faster than "normal", for fear people would assume he was possessed. Normal citizens didn't go from 0 to the speed of sound in .2 seconds.

He found Manic out in the courtyard waiting for him. His brother grinned widely as he saw him, "Heyyy, Sonic!"

"Manic!"

His brother wasn't anything like him. His muscles were slightly more toned, and they were covered in a thick layer of bright green fur. While Sonic's quills were cleaned and sharp, his were dull and flopped everywhere messily. Some drooped in his face, partially covering his – eyes. He was also slightly shorter than the future King, but only by a few inches, and his muscles made up for that. They were well toned, and while he wasn't as strong as his sister, he could certainly beat Sonic at an arm-wrestling competition.

They shook hands, and Manic started walking away, waving his hand to summon Sonic. "C'mon, you came on a good day. Since you're joining in my lessons, we're going to learn some of the good stuff."

They walked across the large courtyard towards the military building. Here was where the commanders gathered and strategies were created. There were also some barracks for the soldiers stationed within the city (most of them had guard duty). A group of them were gathered there now, all wearing very basic armor and fashioning iron swords on their hips. They turned and all gave a slight bow as he arrived.

An orange lizard slipped forward, grin wide, "Welcome, my Prince." He greeted, bowing deeper than the others. "It is good to see you've joined the class. Finally had enough of those boring lessons with that stuck-up 'Coolette, eh?"

Many of the soldiers laughed at this, and Sonic snorted, "Yeah, I was done with that pretentious puppy."

A roar of hearty laughter followed his insult. Shifting awkwardly, Sonic did not want them to know he was actually forced into these lessons because he got into trouble. However, it seemed he would have a lot more fun here than one-on-one with an insufferable, bigoted coyote.

Manic elbowed him in a friendly fashion, "They already like you."

"So what are we doing today?"

Manic thought about that for a moment, then shrugged. "Not sure, Probably some fighting techniques." He suddenly grinned deviously, flashing his sharp teeth. "Maybe if we're lucky we'll be able to use the _canon."_

Sonic sputtered, "A _canon?_"

The orange lizard chuckled, "Of course. Didn't Bunnie say we were going to do that soon...?"

"What better time than while both the Princes are present?" Manic replied.

Upon hearing the word 'Bunnie', Sonic gasped. "Whoa, whoa wait- Bunnie is your instructor?" The blue Prince asked.

"Yeah! You remember her, right?" His brother asked, "She kicked Antoine's butt several times in the ring."

Another roar of laughter. Sonic recalled perfectly who Bunnie was. Another friend of their's when they were children. She was a year or two older then Antoine and a few years older than Sonic and his siblings. The rabbit had came to them when they were young from the southern part of the country. She was the daughter of a favored nobleman and showed true prowess. The rabbit was an incredible fighter, master of physical combat with both her fists and sword. She was highly respected and now that Sonic thought about it, it was no surprise she was a combat teacher.

He remembered clearly the time Antoine was beaten by the lady rabbit. It had been incredibly embarrassing for him, and the siblings along with their friends got a riot out of it. Bunnie had always been the tough type, but to actually watch the pretentious Antoine get beaten up by her was absolutely hilarious.

"I remember that," Sonic finally replied with a mischievous smile. "I haven't seen her in a really long time, though. I hope she hasn't chang-"

"ALRIGHT, enough lolligaggin'!" A loud voice with a thick accent rang out, and seemingly out of nowhere, a young rabbit appeared. She was incredibly tall, decked out in beautiful light armor, and had a determined look across her features as she strode into the throng of soldiers with confidence, "You all been standin' 'round _quite _enough. It's time we got this show on the roa- SUGAH-HOG" The second her forest-green eyes landed on Sonic she pushed through the group of soldiers.

She put her hands on his shoulders and smooched both his right and left cheek, leaving wet marks in his fur. _Gross._ "Oh my _goodness, _Sonic, it's been way too long! I heard you were comin' to my class today, but I was still so unprepared."

"It's good to see you too, Bunnie."

"Ah, my Prince, it's_ Lieutenant _Bunnie now." She clarified, giving him a wink. I'm glad you ain't become stuck-up like some people in power tend to do."

"There's noooo way I'd let him get away with that," Manic cut in, toothy grin widening. "If he ever became like the pretentious butt-wipe like _Antoine _I'd kick him to the next kingdom."

More laughter from the soldiers, and Bunnie smiled warmly before turning away, "Well Sonic, you came on a good day. We're gonna do some drills, then we're gonna have a small competition." She started walking away, weaving her way through the soldiers.

There were a few excited murmurs that ceased when she whipped around and faced the soldiers, eyes hardening. "Alright! I want you to all do your regular drills now. Go, go, go!"

"Wait- wha-" Sonic sputtered as Manic pushed him. The other soldiers had begun to run in a thin line by now, their armor clinking and swords trembling. The blue Prince set himself up at a reasonable pace and turned to Manic, "What are the drills?"

"Shhh," Manic hissed, "Just follow what everyone else does. Sorry I can't say, Bunnie is surprisingly strict if you brea-"

"Do I hear talkin'?!" Bunnie's both amused and dangerous voice sounded above the sound of clinking armor.

Both Manic and Sonic didn't say anything else.

Somehow, Bunnie's drills were far worse than Antoine's. By the end, Sonic's arms ached, but his legs felt renewed and energized. His fellow soldiers were all breathing heavily, some of them ready to collapse, but when their lieutenant came around they all immediately straightened up.

"Good work you guys. Now if you ain't too busy hackin' your lungs out, it's time for the competition." She said, pacing back and forth in front of the group. "I'm sure you all know what it is. I'm gonna pit you all against each other. Since Sonic is here, we have an even amount of people to do it." The pointed at a couple of soldiers, "You two first. Get in the ring. Once you've 'check mated' your opponent, you win. Rules are simple – no fatal attacks, and keep actual injuries to a minimum." She winked, "Don't want any of you pansies sobbin' over your wounds."

There were several nods and challenging grins.

The two previously indicated soldiers stepped forward, putting their iron swords away and replacing them with wooden replica swords. The group of soldiers backed away, creating a shaky circle around the two, all eager to watch the fight. They shouted for who to win as the two trainees began attacking each other.

The competition progressed surprisingly quickly. It was Sonic's turn before he knew it – he was facing off against the orange lizard from earlier. He was rather cocky, but Sonic's private lessons given only by Antoine gave him a disadvantage. He didn't battle with others often enough, so he only knew Antoine's fighting style. However, his speed certainly came in handy. The Prince heard surprised awes from the crowd as he numbly dodged each swipe of the wooden blade, frustrating the lizard as the battle progressed.

Sonic had to be careful not to go at an unnatural pace. Not many knew that he could run at super-sonic speeds, and he preferred to keep it that way. Still, that didn't mean he couldn't move nimbly. Just enough to anger his enemy and impress the crowd. He sidestepped each swipe the orange lizard threw at him with ease before managing to slip behind the reptilian. He thrust his sword straight at his back, the wood clanking against the iron armor. The lizard stepped away, cursing.

"That was a lethal attack! If this had been a real fight, you'd be dead!" Bunnie said, shooing the lizard from the ring. "Prince Sonic is the winner!" She winked at him, then indicated to the next fighters.

It wasn't long before Sonic was up again. And just like last time, he used his speed to dodge around the enemy before attacking. He won once again, and the small crowd cheered.

"Prince Sonic! Prince Sonic!"

Manic was doing quite well. Along with his brother, he had taken down two opponents in a row. While he wasn't as fast as Sonic or strong as Sonia, his determination and pure skill was evident. It wasn't long before they were pitted against each other. The two princes were in the finals of the small competition, and were more than happy to face each other.

They stood in front of each other, eyes glittering with determination. Manic's face was plastered with a challenging smirk, and Sonic offered him a cocky grin. When Bunnie gave the signal to begin the match, Sonic was fast. Manic knew his brother had the special ability of moving at the speed of sound, so he was prepared for the barrage of quick attacks. Manic knew well enough this wasn't his brother's full potential, and if the other soldiers weren't around he would easily be defeated by pure speed.

But since Sonic couldn't go as quickly as his ability allowed him to they were on a more even footing. Sonic's wooden sword was aimed at Manic's neck, but it was easily deflected with a clumsy dodge. The attack was replayed with a barrage of swipes, which Sonic danced out of the way with ease.

Their fake swords clashed, and a few times Manic felt a quick kick in the shins from his brother's nimble feet. This often threw him off, and Sonic took the opportunity to jab him lightly in the gut. Bruises were forming everywhere on the green hedgehog's body, and in this weakened state Sonic let his guard down, assuming his brother was less of a threat, allowing messy Prince him to give his brother a few bruises of his own.

The brothers danced around each other in a green and blue swirl. The blue was graceful, while the green was clumsy. The blue moved like a river, while the green moved like an immobile bush.

Their wooden swords collided on more than one occasion. Swipe after swipe; jab after jab; the two brothers were merciless.

It had been years since they had a proper fight, and both were enjoying it immensely. They hadn't fought like this since they were kits and they were in the same class. Back then Sonic almost always won, but now it seemed that they were a bit more evenly matched, as if Manic had been practicing how to deal with Sonic's speed and spam of deadly attacks.

Sweat dripped from their brows and caused their under-armor to stick uncomfortably to their fur. Sonic's chain-mail was feeling heavier and heavier by the moment as the battle went on. The crowd was still cheering for the princes, and a few of the guards that were off-duty came to watch, while servants that were there to deliver things or to clean up the courtyard watched form a distance, going unnoticed in the exciting fray.

As they continued to dodge and dance, Manic made a mistake. His foot got caught on a small pebble and twisted. He gasped in pain, his sword going down. Sonic took the opportunity and jabbed him in the chest armor, forcing him down onto the ground and on his back. The blue Prince put his wooden sword to his brother's neck and planted a foot on his chest.

His grin was wide.

The crowd was cheering wildly, and Manic looked rather dazed and surprised.

Sonic withdrew his sword and offered his brother a hand, "You okay?" He asked.

Manic shooed away the hand and helped himself up, "Yeah, don't sweat it." He rubbed his neck, "that was a pretty cheeky move."

"Sorry... I react before my mind does." Sonic replied nervously, scratching the back of his head in an awkward manner.

"Wow, Sugah-hog, that was amazin'! I haven't seen you two battle in years." Bunnie praised, clapping her hands. "Manic, you did so well too. If you hadn't tripped up, you would have lasted way longer."

Manic nodded, grinning half-heartedly before turning away. Sonic wondered what passed through his eyes; shame or anger.

The competition had taken most of the day. The sun was starting to had towards the horizon as Manic and Sonic sat in the courtyard. The blue Prince watched as his brother tended to his very light wounds.

They had been discussing Sonic's punishment. As far as he knew, Manic knew how much trouble he got into and the reasoning behind it. Sonic was sick of going to classes and was sick of following the rules. He desired freedom, and he desperately wanted to leave the city more often and run around in the fields. It's not like he wanted to give up his life, he just wanted to change a few things.

Manic nodded as Sonic shrugged. He wasn't much for communicating his feelings, but it was something that needed to be said. The green Prince likely knew how difficult it was for his brother to voice his emotions and desires.

"Yeah, it's pretty hard." His brother agreed, "I don't get bored of it - but - I do miss when you, me, Sonia and Antoine would sneak out into the city." He grinned fondly at the memory, "Even Uncle Chuck went with us sometimes. It was hilarious." his grin faltered, "But that was a long time ago. We have these dumb responsibilities now."

"You sound like Sonia." Sonic commented as his brow went up.

"Now that's hitting below the belt."

The two laughed for a moment before quieting down. Manic gave him a pathetic look, "I get what you're saying though."

Sonic sighed and tipped back, laying in the dust of the courtyard. He didn't even care he probably shouldn't do that since it wasn't socially acceptable, but nobody paid no mind to the two hedgehogs, so it didn't matter.

Manic scratched the back of his head awkwardly, a habit he picked up when he was trying to think, "Well, maybe you could sneak out at night?"

"I don't know if that'd work." He explained with a heavy exhale, "There are more guards at night- you know that."

He groaned and appeared to think again. Then his eyes lit up. "Why don't you leave now, then?"

Sonic was about to argue how stupid that was when Manic cut him off.

"At supper I'll just tell Father that you were really tired after properly fighting so you just went straight to bed." He explained, "I can also add that you don't want any servants up disrupting your sleep. That way you can leave and do that running thing and be back later tonight. Nobody'll know better."

Sonic scratched at his chin, "Maybe..."

"It could work!" Manic said excitedly, "I don't mind lying if it's gonna make you happy."

"You'd lie whether it'd make me happy or not."

Manic faked looking hurt and dramatically put a hand over his chest, "You've injured me to my very soul by saying that."

Sonic nudged him roughly in the shoulder, "You're nothing but a huge fibber. Both Sonia and I know that."

"All the reason why you just let me handle Father. I can lie pretty well, you know that."

He considered the plan again then got to his feet. "Alright... I guess. It's a good, simple plan. I don't know why we hadn't thought of it before."

Manic shrugged. "Whatever. You should probably get going, anyway. Dinner is probably in less than an hour by the looks of it," he glanced to the sky. The sun was falling towards the horizon and he guessed sundown would be in an hour or so.

Sonic grinned, "Thanks. I owe you one." Before Manic replied, he was gone. The green hedgehog glanced around to make sure that nobody noticed the Prince suddenly rushing away at unnatural speeds. Sonic was terrible at keeping his own secret, but luckily he could run faster than the brain could process images.

He went back to what he was doing, confident that his brother wouldn't be found out.


	5. Chapter 5

**I've decided, for now, to make chapters in Shadow's POV every four chapters. There will be a message in the beginning of each chapter a reminder.**

** Excuse the occasional grammar mistakes that have been showing up. I'm doing my best to fix them. It's difficult to find those mistakes when you self-edit.  
**

******Also, thank you for the reviews/follows/favorites.  
**

* * *

His lungs hurt. His feet hurt.

Running... running...

His arms hurt. His back hurt.

Can't stop... can't stop...

How was it possible to be in so much pain?

_"I move an inch forward_

_feels like a year_

_everything I feel seems so unreal," [1]  
_

It was unreal. This whole situation was surreal to him.

He luckily could stop now, though. His pursuers had grown slow and tired. They were far behind him, perhaps two villages behind him, maybe even a whole forest behind him. He wasn't entirely sure, however.

He had taken the opportunity to sit down. This had been a bad idea.

After he had laid there for hours, possibly days, he refused to get up. The dirt beneath his tired body and the tree next to filthy fur, they were messy, bumpy, itchy, covered in bugs... It was the softest bed he had ever experienced.

His feet refused to move now. They didn't want to leave the careful resting position he was in. Throbs of pain echoed through his veins all the way to his toes with every dull beat of his heart. He wished his heart would stop beating, if only to keep the pulsating pain at bay.

He wondered what would happen if they actually caught him. Terrible things, most likely. But was it really worse than what he was currently experiencing?

Something in the back of his mind told him yes, it was worse. Way worse. It told him to get up. It told him to run again. It told him to never stop running.

But he didn't want to run anymore. So he argued with the voice. He told it he wanted to curl up by this tree and sleep forever. Eventually the voice seemed to slip back into his head and didn't bother him any longer.

His conscious would fade in and out, and sometimes the chirping of birds sounded like his hunters.

The rustle of a mice shifting through some fronds of grass was actually the big feet of his pursuers.

His tired eyes would open, and they would survey the surrounding area. Nothing but a peaceful forest showed itself. The chirping birds would flutter to the ground, the mice would nibble of seeds. It was normal forest life, and yet everything posed a threat. Everything was ready to capture him and take him away, back to the dungeons.

This fear was beginning to consume him alive. He knew he was stronger than this. He knew he shouldn't feel fear, but he did, and it was strong. It was stronger than any other emotion within him.

He was simply a husk of who he once was. Even though he didn't even know who he was. He had no conscious memories of whoever he had been. Where he was born, who birthed him, who raised him, his friends, even his age were all unknown to him. All he knew he was being hunted, and that he couldn't stop to take a break. He knew he was scared, and he knew couldn't just sit down and rest. That's all that was known to him.

A crunch of far off bushes caused him to instinctively dart up from his comfortable, dusty spot. The fear was as prominent as ever as he tried to see into the forest. Since he saw nothing, he crept into some bushes for shelter and listened.

The sound of light footsteps rushing through the forest indicated these weren't his pursuers. They were too quick and too soft, the exact opposite of the huge, hefty feet of his hunters.

However, whoever it was, it could pose a potential threat.

He was out of the bush in a second flat and was sprinting through the foliage opposite the noise. He easily weaved through the brambles and ferns, but the low growing branches of the trees provided a nuisance. They swatted at his face and nose, and he could feel blood from shallow cuts slide down his cheeks and chin. However, this was of little concern as his bare feet sunk into the ground with each quick step.

The other creature in the forest suddenly sounded closer.

And it was moving quicker.

Fear rose like bile in this throat at the possibility of whoever this stranger was. Perhaps his pursuers hired somebody who could move as fast as he. If that was the case, he couldn't allow the stranger near him.

He forced his tired legs to move faster.

He would not be caught.

He would never stop.

They would never catch him.

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**[1] Lyrics are from Never Turn Back by Crush 40.**


	6. Chapter 6

The sun had nearly vanished by the time Sonic had left the city. Now free from the grasp of the guards and his disapproving father, his mood escalated greatly. As he rode down the cobblestone path with his mare, the walls of the city shrunk behind him until they were just a small rise on the horizon. He took the path that lead into the forest, knowing his favorite stretch of grass was on the other side.

While an expansion of grass separated the city with the forest and the mountains, the grass was dry and it was dotted with many different farms and smaller farming villages. It wasn't a particular spot for running when anybody could see him and he might trip over growing vegetables and fruits. His favorite field, which rested against the other side of the forest, was beautiful and stretched on for miles, the green grass feeling soft beneath his paws, and the best part was that there were no farms, and to his knowledge, no village for miles. It was a place that hunting parties went to hunt sometimes, or if they wanted a shortcut to the next city. Other than that, it was nothing but Sonic and the small animals that dotted the plain.

Halfway to the meadow, he stopped near a stream and hopped off his horse, allowing her to drink. As he turned his back to the horse and faced to forest, it dawned on him that there were no birds singing. It was late, but there should have been some birds getting ready for the night. Crickets should have been chirping, and the frogs in the various ponds should be croaking loudly (and obnoxiously) at other frogs.

However, all was silent. It was making him uneasy.

Next to him, his horse stopped drinking and perked her ears. Obviously she was picking up on something as well. He turned to her and stroked her nose, whispering quietly that everything was okay. This seemed to calm her a bit, but she still remained on alert.

She wasn't a war horse, so little things bothered her. It was likely best to keep her here and come fetch her later, Sonic reflected. He didn't want to put him or his horse in danger, so, he took her reins and secured them around a nearby tree branch. There was plenty of grass for her to eat and water for her to drink, so Sonic wasn't concerned about leaving her alone for a few hours. He pet her nose a few more times and patted her shoulder before telling her that he'd be gone for a little while.

He was pretty sure the horse didn't understand him, but he said the words anyway. After that, he quickly disposed of his boots and wool socks before turning around and rushing away. Running through the forest was dangerous, but it was a welcomed challenge for him. He only had a second to dodge each tree, boulder and bramble patch. His feet kicked up cool dirt that clung to his leg fur, and he felt a few branches cut into his skin. They were luckily very shallow and didn't even bleed, so Sonic had no concern.

He was smiling. It felt nice to run after a week of mind-numbingly boring writing lessons. If he had to hear one more speech about the failure of crops from 700 years ago, he would surely rip off his own ears.

Out here, there was no thick parchment, nor the sour scent of the ink and quill. There was no sitting for hours and hours, listening to the same voice ramble about literature and history. There were no books, no charcoal pencils, no scratchy chairs or tables.

There were trees. There was grass. There was an endless sky that stretched for miles and miles above him. There was wind, the scent of blossoming flowers and fallen leaves. There was the earthy feel of cooled, moist dirt and moss. But best of all, there was freedom; the freedom to do what he wanted, to think what he wanted, to say what he wanted. It was absent of rules, of lectures, or responsibility. That was what he loved about being out here.

That is what pulled him out of the castle and out of the city; this freedom.

However, his euphoric thoughts dissolved as his ears picked up rustling that hadn't come from his own running. The hedgehog slowed down to a jog. He remembered the earlier danger that seemed to startle the animals. Perhaps the danger passed and the animals were coming out? Or perhaps whatever he just heard was the danger?

His head dotted around as he saw movement. The flash of fur, the trembling of ferns: there was someone - or something – there! Grinning with challenge, he turned on a dime and darted forward, straight at whatever the bush could be hiding. However, he didn't have a chance to see as a rush of black rushed out of the bush and disappeared into the forest. Sonic blinked, surprised, at their speed. Perhaps it was just a deer.

But, deer weren't black!

...Unless it was a mutated deer...

Cutting off his own rambling thoughts, he raced after the quick, black _thing;_ eager to find out what it was. He darted around some ferns and easily jumped over a stump, catching up with the dark object that was now only a few meters ahead. Whatever it was, it was outrunning him, which surprised and slightly upset him. _I'll show that thing the true meaning of speed!_

He kicked himself into high gear, flattening his ears and rushing forward. By now, he was only a few paces behind the other, and Sonic had the opportunity to get a good look at it.

It wasn't just an animal, but an anthropomorphic one. It was likely a citizen of their kingdom, maybe even from the capital city. It appeared to be a hedgehog, surprisingly, only its quills were about as messed up as Manic's! Most of them were tilted up, while others tilted down. They all hadn't been sharpened, trimmed or cleaned in quite a while, and Sonic just now got a whiff of his competitor.

Doesn't this Mobian know what a bath is?!

His fur and quills were all dark gray, almost black, however there were bright red patches here and there, primarily going up his arms, legs and quills before he could continue evaluating him, the other hedgehog glanced backwards. His eyes were hard with fear as he stared Sonic down for about .2 seconds before suddenly turning on a dime and vanishing into the foliage. Sonic was taken by surprise but he was quick to react and to follow.

He was still on the black hedgehog's heels.

"You aren't getting away from me," Sonic breathed, "I'm faster than you!" He added in a louder tone, challenging this strange but fast hedgehog.

The black hedgehog didn't respond, he just went faster and faster until –! They were out of the forest and onto the field that was previously described. Sonic was on his own home turf now and grinned as he faced up to this new endeavor. He was racing against a total stranger who actually seemed more frightened than challenging.

The other hedgehog glanced back, fear still shining in his eyes. He let out an animalistic hiss that sounded pathetically weak. He sped up even more. Sonic tried to go just as fast, but the friction on the bottom of his feet caused them to burn. He ignored this, too filled with adrenalin to care about the pain. He had met another being who was as fast as him, and his first instinct was to race that said being. It was refreshing and challenging; just the way he liked it.

He pushed forward until he was one-on-one with the black hedgehog and then even more until he was a stride or two ahead. He looked over at his new counterpart, grinning widely and daringly.

The other hedgehog watched him. At first, the fear was still there... until something seemed to click in his eyes. The fear slowly dissipated and was replaced with understanding. There was even a challenging glint. Without a word, the black hedgehog turned his head forward again.

The two hedgehogs were officially racing, and Sonic was winning by two strides.

The race extended onward. Each hedgehog kept casting challenging looks back at the other. Although Sonic added a cocky grin, the serious frown on the black hedgehog's mouth never even twitched upwards. His eyes remained hard, and only glistened with the emotion he was portraying. Sonic found this to be strange, but he was too happy to question it.

He wasn't used to running so much. His chest was heaving as he struggled to take in air. His counterpart was having a rough time as well, or at least the Prince suspected so. He didn't fail to notice the various cuts, scars, patches of missing fur, the malnourished frame, the overgrown claws, the grime and dirt that caked his fur... whoever this hedgehog was, he was in bad shape. The fact that he was still running with a body that was little more than bone and skin was amazing.

Even he, who was beyond well fed, clean and groomed was starting to feel the effects of running at over 60 mph for a long period of time. His body wasn't used to it, because he only went out running when he could sneak away (which, obviously, wasn't very often). His body was out of shape.

However, the sheer will to show this black hedgehog up was keeping him going at full speed. He would prove that he was faster than whoever this guy was.

"You're going kind of slow there." He teased breathlessly. "Think you could keep up?" He added as he looked back at the other hedgehog who was beginning to fall behind.

All he got was another wordless growl in reply. Can this guy even speak? Sonic wondered as the black hedgehog pushed forward until he was running with Sonic stride-for-stride.

Their speed at this point was borderline unreal. They were going faster than the fastest horse, faster than the fastest bird. The forest was miniscule on the horizon behind them, and they had to have gone several miles by now. Still, neither of them seemed to give up. They continued onward, despite their weaknesses or exhaustion. However, the black hedgehog's breath was far more labored. Occasionally he'd trip up and fall behind a few feet but he caught up quickly.

The next time he tripped, however, he fell and stumbled several feet before lying on the ground in a motionless slump. Sonic felt a flare of victory, followed by worry, as he came to screeching halt. He kicked up a small dust-storm with his skidding halt, and he backtracked to the black hedgehog's motionless body.

Instead of feeling victorious now, he felt concerned. Surely the thing couldn't be dead? Sonic wouldn't have been surprised, and the fact the hedgehog's face twitched showed that he wasn't dead after-all.

Sonic was gasping and couldn't really form words, so he stood there and waited for the black hedgehog to move again. When he pushed himself up, his arms were trembling. They couldn't even support his pathetically low weight. There were fresh scrapes on his knees from the dramatic fall, however, it only added to the scratched up masterpiece that was this hedgehog. Chest heaving and breath lumbering, he shifted his pained gaze up to Sonic.

Sonic stiffened at the penetrating look of the other hedgehog's crimson eyes. He asked the following question slowly, as if his words would somehow injure the other anthro further.

"Who are you?"

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**If it's not much trouble, I'd appreciate some feedback? Thanks!**


	7. Chapter 7

"Who are you?" He repeated when he didn't get an immediate response.

Sonic didn't get any verbal reply again. Instead, the answer he got wasn't a particularity positive one. The other hedgehog suddenly coughed, hacking up crimson blood that spotted the grass beneath him. His tone was husky as he tried to recuperate. Startled, the blue Prince stepped closer, "-are you okay?"

Again, no reply. Just more coughing. More blood. Then, as if he just couldn't support his own weight anymore, he collapsed. The black hedgehog was nothing more than a ruffled heap of fur on the ground. His breathing was shallow and labored and barely audible.

_ ...This has been one of the strangest events of my life, _Sonic thought. He couldn't recall anything that had been as equally as random.

He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now. Obviously he couldn't leave the poor guy just laying there in a field miles away from civilization, but, what else was he supposed to do? After considering the situation, he figured he could take him into town at least and maybe drop him in a cheap inn or tavern or something. After all, this strange anthro had given him an impressive race, the least he could do was help him out..._ if he was still alive._

Unsure how to even check, he hesitantly poked the grotesque body with his foot. It spasmed in response and Sonic got his answer. Bending down, he decided this might be a better opportunity to inspect his fallen counterpart. Just as be observed before, his fur was thick with mud and grime. He obviously had never even _seen _a bath (or if he did, it was long ago). His claws were overgrown, his fur was unkempt, and one of his ears had a small tear along the edge. There was a crusty layer of blood and pus from where it hadn't been cleaned or possibly even acknowledged.

His quills were obviously sharp, however, they had been thrown in disarray from days – weeks – _months _of abuse. A hedgehog had to care for his quills or they risked having serious problems. The fact that this hedgehog hadn't even bothered with basic grooming was worrisome and slightly disgusting.

Also he was scrawny. Not too painfully scrawny but it was certainly evident his meals were far and few between. He wondered if the wretched thing had even eaten anything recently.

Worry aside, he stood back up, done with his evaluation. He concluded he couldn't leave this poor sap where he was. He wasn't heartless, and while he had never been confronted with such a situation, it seemed almost natural for him to help this other person out.

The first thing he had to do was get this hedgehog to the city, then maybe pay for a room in an inn and leave him there. After that, he would have no further obligation.

Reaching down, he attempted to pick up the other hedgehog. This was a difficult feat, seeing how he had almost no upper body strength, and despite the black hedgehog having little body mass because of his skinny frame, he still weighed a good amount. After holding the other anthro bridal-style, his nose was horribly assaulted by the egregious odor of the unclean hedgehog. He could feel the greasy, grimy fur under his fingers and he was enough to repulse him, never mind that his muscles were being strained and only after a few steps they were aching.

Sonic put the hedgehog down gently and panted. Okay, maybe not a good idea. He really needed to work on his upper-body strength and resistance against foul odor.

He stared down at the hedgehog, scratching his chin. Time for plan B (AKA the one he just thought of two seconds ago).

He'd have to leave the black anthro alone for a few minutes while he went to grab his horse. It would take a while to get back to the forest and even longer to come back out here and locate the dark hedgehog in the dim light of the stars and moon. Even at full-sprint, his horse could never outrun Sonic. Sighing, he absent-mindedly assured the unconscious hedgehog he'd be back before speeding away on tired limbs.

Dirt kicked him behind him as he raced across the field. When he entered the forest, he found his horse easily. She was still tied up on the tree and seemed rather bored. Upon Sonic's return, she neighed and shook her mane excitedly.

"Hey girl," he cooed, giving her a few pets on the shoulder. "We're gonna go here in a sec, lemme just put on my boots..." he trailed off, looking around for the mentioned items. He found both his boots and socks nearby, and he pulled them on before untying his mount and leaping onto her back. With a quick command, they took off. His horse didn't like riding through the forest, and despite his commands, still went very slowly and cautiously. She wasn't having any of his reckless antics.

Once out onto the field, she took off in a sprint. Although, despite her best efforts, it took them several long minutes to make it back to the hedgehog. He was difficult to find among the long, green grass and it was lucky that Sonic even remembered where they had specifically been.

He hadn't moved from the spot Sonic left him (obviously). The blue Prince hopped off his mount and approached the messy bundle of fur and quills.

"Have you awaken?" Sonic asked lamely. When he got no reply, he shrugged and picked him up again. Trying his best to ignore the disturbing feel and smell of the messy hedgehog he hoisted the limp body onto his horse before leaping up himself. He had a clumsy time adjusting the dark hedgehog and a few times he almost dropped the injured anthro. That would have been terrible and possibly fatal to the frail creature (or seemingly frail).

The other hedgehog ended up laying horizontally across his horses' shoulders while Sonic sat behind him holding the reins. It was a bit awkward but this way he could catch him if he fell.

_So much work. _Sonic thought as he commanded his mount into a trot. He didn't want to head back to the city too fast- he wanted to enjoy the freedom of being out while he could.

The sun had fully gone behind the horizon now. The sky stretched on for miles and miles with a deep, deep black. Specks of yellow and white dotted the sky, making up stars and possibly distant planets. It was beautiful and mesmerizing and not a sky that Sonic saw often. Usually he was asleep a few hours after sunset at the latest, since he had to get up with the sun, so the stars were a rare but breathtaking sight. The earth was still warm but the breeze was cool as it ruffled his fur, causing him to shiver despite the two layers of clothes and fur covering his skin.

If he was cold, he reflected on how freezing the black hedgehog must have been.

Speaking of the black hedgehog, Sonic hadn't even noticed that he had slipped off the horse and landed on the ground in a heap of fur. When Sonic DID notice, the horse was several paces away and the blue Prince could barely see his counterpart in the dark.

"Where'd he _go?!_" Sonic hissed as he jumped off the horse, "I can't believe I lost him! Did he just wake up and run off?" He realized that was a stupid accusation. The black hedgehog was out cold and probably would be for awhile.

Sonic found the other anthro laying on the ground several meters behind them and he let out a hefty sigh. He motioned his horse to come over.

Once they were adjusted again, Sonic decided that he would have to keep a better eye on the mobian. Whole he wanted so badly to just watch the sky and run through the field, he would probably have to save it for a later time.

Kicking his horse into high-gear, he set off for the city.

They made it back in good time. As they approached the city gates, Sonic had to fish out his cape. His way, nobody would call out he was the Prince. By now, many of the city's inhabitants were asleep or were drunk. Many drunken men roamed the streets, laughing boisterously and flirting with courtesans, who were more than happy to consent as long as there was money involved.

Sonic hadn't seen the lower part of the city at night in a long time.

The only other time was when he was younger and he had snuck out with Sonia, Manic, Antoine and at the time, Bunnie. It was a hilarious adventure ending with one of the worse punishments in his life.

...he shuddered thinking about it.

In their drunken states, none of the citizens had bothered with the Princes and Princess. They were more concentrated on getting laid or getting more drinks. They were listening to bards sing their songs and trying to sing along with a slurred accent. It was funny, but at the time, they all found it rather intimidating. Sonia had even gotten hit on by a young but drunk Mobian dog who didn't recognize that the Princess was standing before him.

Recalling the old memory, he smiled. He found his gaze concentrated on the other hedgehog, and he wondered vaguely what kind of memories he might have had. Were they good memories? Not likely, given his condition.

Sonic went back to concentrating on finding an inn, not trying to dwell on what horrible things had happened to this poor creature.

He managed to find one down a wide side-street. There was a of courtesans (who looked directly at him and winked) and a drunk man rambling about losing a bet on the side of the road, but other than that, it was mostly bare. Sonic politely waved at the courtesans but mostly found his face getting hot.

Sonic tied his horse outside the inn and went inside, hoping the block hedgehog's unconscious body would be okay for a few minutes. Inside the inn, there were many people gathered by the hearth and along the bar. There was a bard singing in the corner and strumming his lute. It wasn't as boisterous as the main street's inns and taverns, though.

He approached the bar and hoisted himself up on a chair.

A large rat who was presumably the bartender turned around and looked directly at him, "What do you want?" he asked rather rudely.

He never really talked to the citizens, he realized as he stared at this man. He seemed dirty and tired, and his face wasn't very friendly. "Can I just get one room?"

"Sure. That'll be seven silver pieces."

"All I have are gold pieces. Will seven of those do?"

The rat frowned, "That's very overpriced, Sir." His foul yellow eyes lit up, "but I accept."

_Damnit! _It's not like he knew how to barter. Oh well, he had plenty of money on him. Reaching into his coin purse, he pulled out seven coins and places them on the table.

The bartender took the coins and shoved them into a pocket, "Alright, right this way." He moved around the bar, his large belly jingling and headed up the stairs that stood hidden to the side of the room. "Do you want the second or third floor?"

"Either is fine."

"Then here," The rat banged the first door on the second story. The door creaked open. It was unoccupied. "You have it until tomorrow night."

"Thanks," Sonic brushed past him.

Was that how the bartender treated everyone? The rat seemed barbaric. Everybody in the castle was nice to him, called him respectful names, always offered accommodations. Here, he was treated lower, and it was an alien feeling.

Also, the room was terribly small. It was only nine feet by seven feet he guessed, and the only furnishings were a bed, a bedside table and a chest. The window was broken, letting in cold air. Had they even _tried _to patch it up? Obviously not. Sonic wrinkled his nose, thankful he wasn't the one staying here.

This was such low quality he wondered if the other hedgehog even deserved it. Sighing, he went back down the stairs and exited the facility. The unconscious body was still laying on the horse, and he pulled him off, holding him bridal-style again. It was a struggle to carry him into the Inn, and when the rat at the bar looked up, his eyes bulged,

"That better not be a dead body or you're daft." He hissed.

"No, no. He's alive!" Sonic scrambled to explain. "He just passed out is all."

The rat rolled his eyes and went back to tending to customers. "Fine, but I've got my eye on you and I won't hesitate to call the guards."

Sonic nodded and went back to trying to carry this heavy body to the upstairs. Going up the stairs was a massive struggle, and he almost dropped the body twice. As he went up each step, he whispered to himself, _I have to work on my upper-body strength. _He_ figured_ with the amount of time he spent sword-fighting that he should be able to carry a he made it to the room, it was a blessing. He didn't hesitate to clumsily drop the other anthro onto the lame bed in the corner of the room. The hedgehog sunk into the covers, his filthy body unmoving still except for the slight rise and fall of his chest.

Sonic stood back and watched for a moment before deciding he had done enough. Hopefully the hedgehog would wake up tonight or tomorrow and get himself a bath or something. He had no further obligation to help him, however.

Feeling proud for helping such an injured creature, he left the room, shut the door, and went back to his horse, ignoring the leer he got from the rat. He hoisted himself onto the horse and sped away, intent on returning to the castle quietly.

As he road, he reflected on the night's adventure. He got to race somebody of his standards, only that person suddenly started coughing up blood then collapsed (now that he thought about it he probably should have called a healer too), leading Sonic to be a good mobian and return him to the city and even get him an inn room so when he woke up he wouldn't be laying on some street.

Sonic wasn't sure was compelled him to help the other hedgehog. Perhaps he was just driven to do the right thing. _But for a complete stranger? Yes of course for a complete stranger! _

Sonic had never really experienced seeing a severely injured person. He had never seen an unconscious person either. He had never really had to be a helper or a caregiver to anyone. Usually he was on the receiving end. It was a strange – but refreshing – difference.

Whether or not he'd get used to it however was a mystery.

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**Earlier update than usual because I might be gone tomorrow 'cause I have to go to my Grandma's to do her grocery shopping and whatnot. I might get some writing done.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Neil finally made the lovely cover art \(^ u ^)/**

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Sonic was caught between the decision of leaving town again or heading back to the keep. He finally decided to go with the latter to avoid possible consequences. Besides, his legs still ached from the race he participated in prior. It wasn't an ache he regretted though.

It didn't take long to arrive at the keep. All was quiet and dim as a few guards casually paced around the courtyard. Their torches provided the clearing's only light. While they were on the far end, Sonic managed to quickly sneak his horse into the stables. The stable boy was sound asleep under a ragged blanket among some hay. I guess he doesn't like sleeping in the servant's quarters, Sonic observed as he took the saddle off the horse. He was quiet and quick about it, hoping not to alert the stable boy or the servant. After giving his horse a pat he returned her to her stall.

As he sneaked past the guards with ease he reflected the night's activities. They filled him with euphoria and he hadn't felt so content for a long time. However, it also filled him with confusion and worry. That hedgehog... he wasn't in good condition by any means, but he didn't seem like he was going to die...

He sneaked into the castle and down one of the unused servant hallways. Perhaps he should have thought it through more. After all, the other hedgehog was in a seemingly critical condition. He had coughed up blood! But he also had the strength to run alongside Sonic at top speed for several minutes. That had to count for something. He probably just needed rest.

When he returned to his room, the last thing he expected to see was a certain orange fox sitting on the floor, head leaning against the bed. He was snoring very softly, indicating he was asleep. Surprised, Sonic approached him.

"Tails?"

The fox didn't react right away. He shifted in his sleep, as if being disturbed upset him. He opened his eyes slowly, blinking first then widening them as he saw the blue Prince standing in front of him.

"Master Sonic!" He suddenly shouted, leaping up off the ground. Not one but two tails pressed between his legs as he bowed his head in shame. "My deepest apologies Master Sonic. I did not realize I had fallen asleep."

Sonic waved his hand at him, as if to brush it off, "It's okay Tails. I'm not angry at you. I just want to know why you're here."

Tails straightened up, although it was slow and unsure. "I came in here earlier thinking you wanted to work on your reading. I knocked, but you did not answer. I should have left then, but another servant told me that he had heard that you weren't feeling well... so I was worried and entered your bedroom without asking. You weren't in here, so I waited and waited and I was so tired and..." He trailed off.

Sonic scratched the back of his head. He wasn't angry at Tails. He, in nature, wasn't a particularly angry person, and when he was angry it usually dissipated quickly. However, Tails might have somehow given away that he wasn't in his room, which would have led to panic, a search party leaving and his father growing very, very angry. His thoughts trailed off and he shivered in fear at the consequences.

"It's alright Tails," he told the shamed fox. "Just don't do it again, yeah?"

"Yes, Master Sonic!" He straightened up and nodded. There was a smile on his face now. "Should I leave?"

Tails was smart, Sonic knew that. He thought of the dark hedgehog again and asked, "Actually, I need to ask you something." He flopped down on the bed, wondering how he should start, "If somebody starts coughing up blood and then passes out, is that bad?"

Looking rather startled, Tails replied, "Is that a rhetorical question?"

Sonic rolled his eyes.

"Well, uh, yeah. It is pretty bad. I'm not sure what it means though." Tails shuffled his feet, "Is there a reason you needed to know?"

Sonic laid down on his back, his quills pressing into the mattress. "I met somebody, when I was out." He looked over at the fox, who stood near his bed, listening. "He didn't look so good though. We raced, even though he looked really tired and weak." He grinned, "It was actually a challenge."

Tails' eyes lit up, "Really?"

"Yeah! Get this: he was really fast. He has the same ability I do." He said, voice excited, "We raced until he accidentally tripped. Then, when I asked who he was he coughed up blood and passed out."

"He did?" Tails asked, glancing around as if the unconscious hedgehog was in the room, "What did you, uh... do..?"

"Well, I felt bad about leaving him there, so I took him into town and left him at an Inn."

The fox scratches the back of his head, mulling over Sonic's words, "Well..." he trailed off, biting his lip. "Maybe you should have gotten a doctor for him? I mean, what if he doesn't wake up?"

Sonic let out a huff, "I knew I didn't do the right thing." He had never been confronted with that situation. "Do you really think he'd die?"

Tails shook his head, "I don't know, Master Sonic, I'm sorry."

"...I should go back in the morning and see if he needs medical assistance. I don't know if I'll be able to sneak out again." He contemplated, "Since I don't have lessons tomorrow I could leave."

"If you think that's best, Master Sonic." Tails said, "But shouldn't you read the chapter your instructor assigned to you?"

"Yeahhh..." Sonic dragged out. "I probably should." It seemed like it would be difficult to concentrate on his work with a possible death hanging over his head. He actually wanted to just leave for the keep again and check on him. If somebody died on his watch he would never forgive himself.

"Are you worried, Master Sonic?" Tails asked.

"I guess I am."

The fox gave him a grin, "You shouldn't concern yourself too much. It isn't healthy. I'm sure that strange hedgehog is fine, he just needs rest."

"I don't know. He seemed kind of weak."

"Weak?"

The blue Prince nodded, "Yeah. He was skinniest thing I have _ever seen_. Even in comparison to some of the peasants that come to my father for help. Also he was covered in cuts and his fur was messy."

"Do you know why? Did you ask?"

"No... but perhaps I should have." Sonic said, biting his lip. "I mean, I am going to be King someday, and I didn't even show concern for one of my own future subjects."

"You're showing it now, by the looks of it."

He rolled his eyes playfully, "I need to act on the concern I feel. Is that better terminology?"

Tails let out a small snort of laughter. "Anyway... I'll go and help him in the morning. I'll get him a doctor or something and apologize for dropping him off a horse."

"You dropped him off a horse?" Tails echoed in disbelief.

Sonic glanced away, remembering how the dark hedgehog had fallen off his horse and Sonic didn't even notice, "_Maybe_."

Tails pressed a palm to his face, "Oh, Gods." He mumbled around his hand.

Sonic scratched his ear and laughed nervously. "Accident."

"I would hope so."

A silence fell between them, and the exhausted Sonic nearly fell asleep when his friend spoke up again, "Do you wish for me to leave?"

That would have been beneficial to his tired mind. However, Sonic desired to remove the other hedgehog off his mind, so he asked, "What was the thing you were going to do with me?"

"You mean earlier?" Tails confirmed. When Sonic nodded he replied, "Well, you said that you had to read through a battle in the 2nd Great War." Tails leaned down the picked up the book that had been resting next to him while he had been sleeping. "You gave me this and told me to read it, so I did, and I found it quite interesting."

He pulled off his socks, tossing them to some obscure place to be found later. "Oh yeah?"

"Yes. As I'm sure you know, back during the 2nd Great War, the Chmńi Krolestí were as vicious as they are today. They used the war to seize control of their northern borders."

"You mean the old desert kingdom?" Sonic couldn't be bothered remembering the name.

"Yes." Tails glanced around the room, then walked over to a table that sat under one of the windows. On it was the map of the region. It included their own country to the south, the Acorn Kingdom to the northwest and the huge desert to the north. Sonic lazily slid off the bed and followed Tails over.

Tails pointed to the old northern region that was now nonexistent. "Here is where that country once was. It was the desert country of, filled with the hardy reptilian folk. During the 2nd Great War, the – was being attacked near their capital. They were on their last stand when they called for our aid."

"How did they lose then? Our armies have always been strong."

"Well..." Tails turned to him, "We didn't come help them."

…

_ The land was still warm. Not from the sun, but from the blood. It was warm from the bodies lying on the ground, from the blood and flesh being spattered into the dust._

_ The High Queen stood on the battlegrounds – or rather, the desecrated remains of the ancient river city of – that now resembled a mass grave rather than a major port city. The water, which had always been beautifully clean, now ran a disgusting copper color. Mixed with blood and dirt, the water was now undrinkable. Bodies still littered the ground. Some the enemies', but mostly her own subjects. Her facial expression had been solemn as she looked at the rubble of the buildings, which had been burned or knocked down by great canons. The city walls were in shambles, and the few left alive were too traumatized to be of any use._

_ The survivor count was only four. Four. Four citizens were left alive out of a city of hundreds, maybe even thousands._

_ They had been preparing for this attack. They knew it was coming, But even with all their preparation they failed miserably. So many died._

_ After the enemy had swept in and killed just about everyone, they disappeared again; probably into the hill camps a few miles away from the city. They were likely readying their armies for the final blow..._

_ An old horned lizard, whose skin was scarred and scales frayed, came up behind the distraught Queen._

_ "Your Majesty... I think it's time we consider asking for aid –"_

_ She had turned on who dared to suggest they get help. The other lizard jumped at the sudden hostility. "Absolutely not." She hissed. "Call back all the troops. All of them. Take them away from the borders, from the villages. Bring everybody into Central City."_

_ "Are you sure that's wise?"_

_ "Are you questioning me?"_

_ "...Sorry, Your Majesty..."_

…

"Wait, so they pulled the soldiers from the villages but not the citizens?" Sonic scoffed at the stupidity.

Tails rolled his eyes, "I'm sure the soldiers escorted the villagers to Central City as well."

By now, the two friends were resting on the edge of the bed. Sonic was strangely engrossed in the story Tails told him. When his teacher told him the same story, he disregarded it entirely and instead scribbled Manic in a dress and proceeded to laugh at it (that was probably why when his teacher asked him about it and he shrugged, he had given him the book to read, which, of course, he handed off to Tails).

"Anyway..." Tails trailed off, continuing the story.

…

_ Villagers and soldiers alike began pouring out of the villages across the country. They all headed to the Central City, the last remaining stronghold. Nobody had much faith that the battle would come out well. Children cried while men and women alike prepared for war. The elderly took the children as both mothers and fathers pulled on their armor and sharpened their swords._

_ ...An old mother cries as she receives the news her child has been taken into the hands of the enemy..._

_ The High Queen even prepared for battle. She had her finest armor and sword sharpened as well as polished. She knew the enemy was closing in now. The smoke could be seen on the horizon of the desert._

_ They were going to be here within a day._

_ Her people were scared. They had lost so much, and they were about to lose more._

…

"They had absolutely no faith in themselves." Sonic reflected.

Tails shook his head, "You know how strong _Chmńi Krolestí_ was. Is. It's scary!"

"I'm not scared of them." Sonic scoffed, although he did feel fear. "They're just a bunch of bastards."

The fox flicked his ear at the term _bastard _but continued.

…

_ The screams of the dying could be heard even within the city. It was a horrible lullaby that failed to put children to sleep. They still cried in the hands of elderly strangers._

_ On the battle field, it wasn't looking good for the failing desert kingdom. The reptiles were struggling against the __Kżarnii Żołnierzii__. They were ruthless, cutting off limbs and heads, licking the blood from their swords. They grinned as they shoved their swords down the enemies' neck, watching their life force pour out of their open wounds. The female soldiers were at even more risk than the men, because if they weren't wounded they were taken away and put in cages to be shipped back to the capital city of __Chmńi Krolestí__, likely to be used as slaves._

_ Somewhere far away, a child stands in a throne room. He stood before the High King of the Mobius as he read the parchment handed to him. It was a distress note, begging for aid._

_ The child looked ragged. His body was thin and covered in cuts and scrapes of all kind. He had spent the last several weeks crossing __Chmńi Krolestí_ and into the borders of the potential ally.

_ The High King at the time, a pale blue hedgehog, glanced through the note. He looked down at the child._

_ "I apologize, but we cannot send for aid."_

_ The child looked alarmed. "But..."_

_ The King did not listen to the child. "You may rest here and eat your fill, but in the morning, you will be sent back to your own country."_

…

"That's rotten." The blue Prince scowled, "Who was that, anyway?"

Tails gave him a critical look, "Sonic should have learned your linage years ago."

"...Oh."

"If I'm remembering right, it was your Great Grandfather."

…

_Help might have spared the reptiles of defeat, but help did not come._

_ The scent of feces and flesh caused her eyes to water, but she continued to fight and fight until a blade caught her heart. The High Queen had been slain by a new –. He grinned as he licked the blood and stood above her body, around him, fellow warriors shouted their approval. Reptilian soldiers began crying at the sight of the body. Some shouted and fought harder, while others fled. In the end, it hardly mattered._

_ It no longer existed. With the death of the Queen, the capital burned. Citizens were either killed or became slaves and servants of __Chmńi Krolestí_. The memory of the great kingdom was fresh in their minds, but that memory didn't provide comfort. The Lord of _Chmńi Krolestí_ had the walls torn down along the border. Cities and villages were rebuilt to accommodate his own citizens.

_ The defeat of the desert kingdom had sent a message to the rest of the world. As the Great War dissipated, it was replaced with tension and fear. __Chmńi Krolestí_ defended all five borders and broke down one, taking over the country on the other side. They had the resources, the soldiers and brutality to do whatever they pleased. While the invasions ceased, everybody knew that they would start up again one day...

…

"...And they did. They are." Sonic finished. "They've been destroying the villages near the Acorn Kingdom border."

"Obviously, Master Sonic." Tails replied. "But it isn't any secret what they're planning." "Yeah. It isn't exactly news that they're a horrible bunch of people that really need to be taken down a notch." He kicked at the colorful rug under his feet. "But they're too strong to deal with."

"Right now anyway." The young fox replied. "Based on the given information, it would be possible if there was enough of an alliance against them."

Sonic gave him a crooked frown, "Only there isn't. And hypothetically if the Acorn Kingdom accepts the offer for an alliance, it wouldn't be enough." He groaned, messing with his head fur. "I hate politicsssss~" The blue Prince collapsed back onto the bed.

Tails gave him an affectionate smile, "I know you do, Master Sonic. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that you're going to be High King one day, though, and you'll live and breathe politics."

Sonic stared up at the canvas over his bed thoughtfully. "...I know."

He couldn't help but conjure up the image of running through the fields again... The taste of freedom. No responsibilities, no wars, no politics. Just racing that mysterious hedgehog and feeling the grass beneath his paws.

When Sonic opened his eyes again. They glittered with pensiveness."Sometimes I feel like I envy you. I mean, you're not anymore free than I am, but at least you aren't burdened with such responsibility."

He was quiet for a minute, then in a low voice he said, "Excuse me for saying this, because I know it's not the same, but... I feel like I have to be responsible for you. That isn't the equivalent of a whole country, though."

The hedgehog smiled at this. He loved his adopted brother so much, although he'd never voice that. It was obvious, though, in his actions and words. He pushed his fist into Tails' shoulder playfully, "Gettin' all mushy I see."

Tails jumped and slid off the bed clumsily, "I'm sorry that was out of line, Master Sonic!" He sighed, still looking miserable, "It's true, though."

"And I'm grateful for that." He replied, sitting back up. "It's quite alright, Tails."

The fox gave him a hesitant look, but the look on Sonic's face must have been comforting because he let out a sigh of relief, followed by a long yawn.

"I think a certain fox should probably head to the servant's quarters and get some shut-eye." Sonic said, noticing the yawn.

Tails covered his mouth, eyes wide. It was rude to yawn in front of the person you serve, "Uh. Are you sure, Master Sonic?" He asked, "Do you not want to work on anything else?"

"That's okay. I'm pretty tired myself, anyway."

The servant nodded, "Alright! I will go then." Straightening his ruffled fur, he went to the door. Before he left, he turned to Sonic, giving him a wide smile, "Have a good sleep, Master Sonic."

"You too Tails."

The door shut, and Sonic was left alone.

Sonic prepared for bed. He pulled off his clothing and threw them on a chair. He brushed his quills and washed his mouth out in the basin. Finally, the hedgehog put out the fire in the hearth. The room felt as if it was sweltering and he probably should have turned it off long ago. He blew out the lights and darted to his bed in the dark, hiding under the sheets and feeling the soft fabric press into his pelt.

He let out out a small happy squeak that was probably to most unmanly thing to ever come out of his mouth and burrowed his head into the soft feather pillow. Content and comfortable, he allowed his mind to drift into sleep.

Sonic woke before a servant could rouse him. He blinked open his eyes as a very pale late slid through the dusty windows. At first, he begged for sleep to take him again because he was so exhausted. Then he remembered why his limbs were so tired.

He rose from the bed and put on some casual clothing (or as casual as royal garb got) and headed out. He made his way to the stables and grabbed his horse before leaving the keep. A guard offered to come with him, but he declined and said he was just taking a short ride through town. As long as he wasn't gone too long, he wasn't likely to be missed.

He made his way through the streets at a quick trot. Already the crowds were beginning to form along main street, so he veered off and went through a side-street. The side-streets offered far less traffic, so he made it back to the Inn faster.

He tied the horse outside the Inn and slipped inside.

The rat from last night was still working behind the bar. He glanced up as Sonic came in.

"Aye, you're back." He gritted out. "You lookin' for your friend?"

Sonic didn't consider the dark hedgehog a friend, but he nodded anyway. "Yes I am." The rat snorted, "He ain't here. He left."

"What?" Sonic asked, eyes widening. He turned and raced up the stairs to the room. He pushed the door open and looked in.

It was empty.


	9. Chapter 9

The first sound that came to his waking ears were distant voices and movement. His ears informed his brain of this and instantly the dark hedgehog was awake. Two eyes darted open and stared at the world around him, the fuzzy room gradually sharpening into focus. It was dark. The only light in the room was offered by a broken window against the wall parallel to the decrepit door. The walls were made of wood, and the floor looked so rotten that if somebody even took a step they'd fall through.

It was half covered with a shaggy red rug, hiding it's repulsive qualities.

His body was strewn out on an old bed. The blankets were scratchy and the frame was squeaky. The pillow his head lay on was thin, filled with crushed feathers. It smelled pretty badly too.

Of course, he didn't know that. He smelt so bad everything smelled decent to him.

He was on the alert. In this unknown situation anything could happen. He wasn't entirely sure whether he got captured or not. The hedgehog was certain that he was in an unfamiliar place though.

When he tried to move, his body screamed in agony, so he laid there for a minute or two more. He'd probably dart if he heard a threat, but right now, all was quiet except for the noise of a distant crowd. He took this moment to collect his hazy thoughts. His mind wasn't much clearer than it had been, but he had a memory at least.

He believed it was last night. Or maybe last week. He couldn't honestly tell, he just knew that he had met a strange hedgehog who had the same ability as he.

He could run fast. Unbelievably fast.

At first it had been incredibly terrifying. He knew he was going to be caught. He knew he'd feel the rough rope around his wrists and ankles. He would again feel the chains around his neck and the cold, hard floor under his body as the distant screaming echoed in his aching ears.

But then the hedgehog gave him that strange look. It was a challenging but almost... _friendly_ look, not a threatening look. The gaze of his serene green eyes calmed his spirit, and he met the challenge he had received head-on. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to race the other hedgehog. His limbs and heart ached horribly, and yet he still ran.

It was the first time he hadn't felt fear in a long time. Instead, he felt challenged. He felt content. He had a goal other than just _trying to get away._

Unfortunately, now he had no idea where he was. The last thing he remembered was hearing words he couldn't comprehend and the worried tone of the other hedgehog before he hit the ground. His whole body had gone spiraling into the darkness and he only now resurfaced, only to be confronted by a strange room and a tired body.

He closed his eyes and willed his frittered body to move. At first it was unresponsive, but then his fingers twitched, his feet shifted, and he managed to pull his torso up until he was in a sitting position. The bed below him creaked loudly, causing his ears to flick with discomfort.

When he finally made it on a pair of two wobbling legs, he approached the door and tested it. It opened with ease, so he knew he wasn't trapped. He left the room into a narrow hallway. There were more a few more doors, all looking as equally as broken down as the door he just exited from. On the opposite side of the hallway were a couple of stairs. One went up while the other went down. Moving cautiously, he slipped down the stairs that went to the ground floor.

He confronted a new room now. A few people dwelled in it. Instantly, the natural fear rose up from his stomach. He was preparing to dart when the smell of baked bread washed over his nose. His stomach contracted and growled loudly at the scent.

He was _starving. _His hunger seemed more prominent than his fear.

Before he could ponder what food he could eat, he heard somebody speak to him. "Oh good, you _are_ alive. And here I thought yous was dead." The black hedgehog turned to the voice that addressed him. It was a nasty rat with a large belly that stood behind a long, wooden bar. He was eating a slice of jerky and staring right at him, yellow eyes glowing with foulness. "Gods, you need a bath."

The dark hedgehog's ears twitched at the words. They were lost within his mind, floating around in a sea of jumbled thoughts and understandings. He couldn't comprehend them at all.

For all he knew, he could have been threatened. However, the tone sounded ruder than anything. Still, it was better safe than sorry. He still had trouble making rational decisions that weren't based off of primal instinct, so he did what hedgehogs did best and scurried off.

He left the building and was met with the dazzling sun. It was bright in the sky, and at once it warmed him. However, he felt stickier than before as the heat warmed the caked dirt within his fur. Taking a few paces forward, he was met with a mildly busy street. His ears flattened as a variety of anthropomorphic animals shuffled along the street, most of them heading to what he assumed to be the main street at the end of the road. However, the sudden burst of people startled his little heart and he backed away back into the building.

He returned to the room had had woken up in and sat on bedside table to stare out the window. He could observe and think there.

The black hedgehog guessed, rationally, that after he collapsed somebody (possibly the blue hedgehog) took him into the nearest town. It would also make sense they left him at an Inn. It was a kind gesture, actually, and he was surprised he could conjure up such a logical thought. His life seemed to be ran on instinct, so to have a proper thought was positive thing.

However, his memories were still locked deep within his mind. They still teased him, dancing only a few feet away. When he tried to grasp them, they darted away and vanished within the jumbled darkness of his inner mind. However, the fog was clearer. He could grasp thoughts and understanding. Just barely. Just enough to know little things.

If this was an Inn, then he should have this room for a while longer. He took the opportunity to lay down on the bed and rest his limbs. In the meantime, he tried to think about more things. When he tried though, his head started pulsing with a headache. The sudden pain caused him to gasp, and his hand met the side of his head. The hedgehog rubbed the spot that hurt, hoping the small massage would lessen the pain.

Maybe he shouldn't try and think.

He laid there for a while longer before deciding to dare the outside world again. After leaving the room and going down the stairs, he ignored the rat. His mind had concluded that the grumpy mammal wasn't a threat. He said a few more things to him, but the words fell on deaf ears.

He wondered if it was because he couldn't process things well yet, or if its because he never learned to understand language in the beginning.

It seemed like a basic thing to know. Language.

When he left the building again he glanced around and decided to follow the thin crowd towards the main street. He kept a good distance away, but the stares he received was enough to keep him alert in case one of them felt the need to attack.

They didn't though. They just stared and kept talking with their companions. Their words meant nothing to him.

The main street was very busy. It was wide and stretch either way through the entire city. He guessed it emptied out onto a market square of some kind where there has to be food. Food was on the top of his mind. He felt his stomach growl angrily as the smell of jerky, cooked meat and baked bread assaulted his nose. It overpowered his own foul odor.

Some people said rude things to him as he passed, but he weaved through the crowd. He dodged large bodies and managed to squeeze through hoards of children. The fear was lessening,and it was being replaced with frustration and annoyance. There were so many people everywhere it was unbelievable. He felt fur, scales and feathers brush against him and it was an alien feeling. He had been isolated for quite a while (at least for as long as his limited memory allowed) and to be around so many people so suddenly was unnerving. He didn't think his pursuers could find him here however, so he allowed himself to forget about them. For now, he had to figure out where he was (also to get something to eat).

Finally, the street opened out into a grant clearing. Tall buildings lined around on all sides, and the market place was simply filled with people of all sorts. He diverged from the crowd he had been following and found a few crates to stand up on. Being a hedgehog, he was rather short, so getting up on high grounds would be the best manner of evaluating his surroundings.

The clearing was simply massive. Stands stood around everywhere. People milled around them, inspecting goods or trying to barter. What was the most impressive thing however, was a direct view to the large castle in the near distance. The keep stood over everything else, obviously. Three tall towers jutted out from the tall secondary walls, and an unfamiliar flag flew on the top the of the middle tower.

He had seen that flag before. A distant voice within his head told him to hate it. The reason, however, was unknown to him.

Deciding that it was time to get something to eat, the dark hedgehog slithered off the crates and began examining to food stands. Some stands had foul smell fish, while others had fresh jerky. A shop to the edge of the clearing had pastries and breads. It all looked extremely delicious.

Approaching the shop, he slipped inside. While the baker worked with a potential customer, the dark hedgehog went unnoticed. He managed to grab a sweet roll that sat among others of its kind on a table. Having grabbed his prize, he began leaving when a hand came out of nowhere and grabbed him by the ear. The torn ear. He let out a hiss of pain.

"Stop right there you rotten thief," The baker, a golden stag, growled at him. "You better have the coin to pay for that or I'll have your hand cut off."

The dark hedgehog knew he was in trouble. He squirmed, but his weakened body was practically useless. He probably should have spent more time resting than he did, but his need to evaluate this city and the need to get food had both been far too strong.

"Well?!" The stag snorted, holding his ear tighter.

Squirming again, he finally yanked his ear away. He felt it tear even more and he snarled in frustration. His crimson eyes glared up at the stag as he hissed the following words that shocked even him "Puscyc!" His fangs flashed threateningly as he allowed the words to flow. "Grubii sukiinsyn! Wiisiilm cyeby do kriipte" [1]

The stag's eyes widened, "What the hell! Can't you speak English?!" He yelled. But his eyes filled with understanding, and hints of fear passed through them.

He suddenly kicked the stag in the hoof and rushed out of the bakery, prize still in hand.

The stag cursed, grasping his wounded leg and shuffling out after him, "GUARDS! THIEF! GET HIM!"

There had been a guard nearby who witnessed the commotion, but the dark mammal was too fast for the giant, clumsy tiger guard. He weaved out of the way, still holding the sweet roll and disappeared into the crowd. He heard the distant shouts, but what they were saying was unknown to him. He continued running until he wedged himself into a smelly alleyway. Keeping behind a crate, he nibbled at his prize and reflected his own words.

They had been instinctive words. They spilled out of his mouth before he thought about it. This was surprising because he had been mute for so long. He never said a word, or rather, _couldn't _say a word. The hedgehog couldn't remember how to speak before, and his throat was parched.

The sweet roll filled his stomach, but made him feel unwell. There was a possibility his weak stomach would throw it up, so he stayed behind the create until the sky began to turn orange.

Night would be here soon. He didn't have a shelter for the night. The crate next to him would offer some protection. Ignoring the voices outside the alleyway, he tucked into himself and rested his head on his knees. They were a bony pillow, but he hardly cared as he closed his eyes and allowed his body to rest.

* * *

**[1] Let go! Fat mother-fucker! I will send you to the crypt!**

** Hopefully this translation system won't be too awkward \ (^ n ^;;)**


	10. Chapter 10

"Zhtupid! _Idiot_!"

The unpleasant high-pitched voice of Antoine caused Sonic's ears to twitch with displeasure.

Presently, the Prince and the angry coyote sat in the small medical room. Antoine laid on a cot, continuing his chain of vicious complaints. He glared up at Sonic every so often as the doctor looked his injured leg over.

Only minutes ago they had been in the courtyard, training under the hot sun.

...

_Sonic let out a sigh as the coyote continued to speak. He went on and on about how Sonic relied too much on his agility. He needed to be more up-front and not a dainty pansy. His annoying accent was enough to drive the blue Prince crazy._

_ "You must attack like zhis," Antoine said, demonstrating a very powerful attack that involved his whole body. It seemed like an unnecessarily clumsy attack, which was the main reason why Sonic preferred dancing around his enemy before actually landing a hit. What was the point of having such a useful ability if he wasn't ever going to use it?_

_ "And you must use your body to – are you lizhtening?!" _

_ "Yes Ant-Butt," he groaned, rolling his eyes, "I'm listening."_

_ The coyote scowled at the nickname, "Alright Prince Sonic, we fight now. Zhtop using your feet azh much azh you do and use your upper-body." He got into position, holding out his fake wooden sword._

_ Sonic grinned mischievously and did the same, the wooden sword in his hand extending out like a long limb._

_ And then they began. The sun made his palm sweaty as he thrust his sword forward, trying to hook Antoine's arms against the unreal blade. Occasionally it slipped in his hand, causing him to slip up with his defenses. He felt the wood jab him in the gut and on the shoulder. With each hit, Antoine snarled in disapproval. _

_ "You're being clumzhy Prince Sonic." He said, shoving his blade harder and harder each time. "Try harder! Quit being a baby milk-drinker!"_

_ Finally, growing annoyed, Sonic zipped past Antoine's blade and behind him. He used his fake sword to hook Antoine's ankle and trip him up. Antoine wildly struggled and fell to the ground at an awkward angle.  
_

_ Antoine hissed in pain and then doubled forward. His hiss was punctuated with a high-pitched yowl, followed by cursing. He was grasping his ankle and whining. Sonic, surprised that he actually harmed Antoine, dropped his sword and stepped towards him.  
_

_ "Antoine! Are you okay?"_

_ …_

Sonic shrugged at the doctor, "Er, it was an accident."

The doctor nodded, "I believe it." He continued to rub the strange ointment on Antoine's ankle until the fur was sticky with a thick layer of goo. "Alright Sir D'Coolette, just stay off of it for the rest of the week and it'll heal fine. You just twisted it so it'll be better quickly."

"A whole week?!" The coyote groaned and plopped his head down on the feather pillow.

"Afraid so." The doctor said, voice portraying no emotion. "I'll ask somebody to escort you to you to your home."

Sonic let out a puff of air as the doctor left. "Sorry, Ant-Butt."

"Zhtop calling me by the name the plagued my childhood." Antoine groaned. "Zhis is your fault."

Sonic frowned at the accusation, "It's not like I did it on purpose."

"I very doubt that, Prince Sonic." his voice was hard and accusing as he glared at the hedgehog.

Sonic sighed, "Fine." He began leaving the room, "Good luck with your healing." He halted in the doorframe, "I really am sorry."

He received a huff in return.

Now without anything to do, he found himself meandering through the courtyard in the hot sun. His thoughts went back to the hedgehog from many days ago.

After finding that he had vacated the Inn room, Sonic had returned to the castle and decided to let himself forget about it. Since then, he had been progressing with writing lessons, sword lessons and the extra nighttime lessons from Tails. A few times Tails asked him about the black hedgehog, and usually Sonic just replied nonchalantly. He tried not to dwell on the negative part of the memory, and instead recalled the race with fondness.

However, there was something strange about the whole thing. Where'd he come from, where'd he go?

"Sonic! Sonic!"

His thoughts were cut off by a familiar voice. He turned and greeted the other with fondness, "Hello, Sonia."

The woman standing before him was none other than his dear sister, Sonia. She was the Princess and had brilliant pink fur. Her equally as colored quills grew long and sharp, forming an upwards motion on the back of her head. It looked pretty cool, but at the same time made her look very intimidating if not for her color.

She let out a few huffs as she caught her breath before returning the greeting. "Hello, Sonic. Fancy meeting you here."

Sonic glanced around. "Out in the courtyard...?"

"Yes. Exactly. What are you doing anyway? Aren't you supposed to be working with Antoine?"

Sonic laughed rather nervously and scratched the back of his head, "Well... about that..."

"Oh, Gods, what did you do?"

"I just broke his ankle."

Sonia rolled her eyes, "Nice going, Sonic. You aren't supposed to cripple your instructor – no matter how stuck-up he is."

He grinned. "So what are you doing?"

"Eh, I was actually heading for the stables. I wanted to take a ride around the town." She paused, "You want to come along?"

Sonic shrugged, "Sure, why not? I don't have anything to do now anyway."

As they walked to the stables and waited while the stableboy prepped their horses, they shared some small talk. Sonia shared her recent frustrations with the medicines she was working with. She spoke lowly, since she wasn't actually allowed to study medicine. She had found come interesting mixes that cause different effects in people. It was rather boring for Sonic, but he listened anyway. He also shared his own problems – excluding the black hedgehog – and Sonia provided the same courtesy of listening even though Sonic could tell she was bored.

The two continued this chat until they were on their horses and out of the keep.

"So where are we headed _really_?" Sonic asked Sonia as soon as they were out of earshot of the castle's guards.

"Oh my dear brother," Sonia grinned, "I certainly have no idea what you're talking about." She said innocently.

"I highly doubt this is a leisurely trip through the city."

"And you are right to doubt." She replied. "I actually want to go to a small shop. It's in the slums... a small alchemy shop and it has a lot of ingredients that I want to look into getting."

"Alchemy, eh?" The blue hedgehog echoed, "That's some dangerous stuff."

Sonia snorted, "Only if you're an idiot who does it wrong."

As they walked onward, Sonic found his eyes straying. He glanced to and fro and peered down alleyways, as if looking something.

Or someone.

And he was indeed looking for someone. Part of him hoped he would see the dark hedgehog again, just to confirm that he was okay and not coughing up blood (and maybe ask for another race).

Sonia began to notice his glancing around and questioned it, but Sonic just claimed that he was just looking around for the shop she had mentioned. She rolled her eyes and said it was in the lower part of the city. He nodded and began making his looking around less conspicuous.

They soon made it to the lower part of the city. The buildings here were depressingly decrepit and as were the people. Both Sonic and Sonia had pulled on their capes and hoods to avoid attention. They knew showing their royal faces here would yearn graveling respect but also a lot of danger. It was a good place to get mugged or even assassinated.

Sonia reached into her bag and tossed him a dagger. He caught it and gave her a look.

"Just in case." She replied. "You forget I come down here often."

"Yeah because you have more free time." Sonic mumbled resentfully as he shoved the dagger in his belt. It was a nice, simple steal dagger with minimal carvings. A rather austere weapon. The hilt was leather and felt soft agains his hand.

They finally made it to the shop, and they slipped off their horses before going inside.

It was a small shop and was crowded with many, many different items. It was dark and lacked any window, and shelves lined every wall. The shelves were crowded with different things... dried berries, planets, bones, crushed powders, jars of mysterious liquid. The owner was burning an incense that made him feel dizzy.

Sonia went up to the desk and began asking the shop-keeper some questions. Figuring they were all talking medicine and herbs and alchemy and whatnot, Sonic looked around on his own. The shelves were all old and dusty, but the merchandise had been taken, switched and handled many times. As he meandered about, small rats scurried around his boots and dust flew up from the floor boards. It was certainly a dirty place.

He grew bored fast. He could only spend so long looking at dried mouse-tails and demonic plants. So, he decided to walk up to his sister in the middle of her sentence, "Hey Sonia, I'm going to leave. I'm getting bored here."

"Alright, Sonic. Just be careful."

He grinned, "Yeah, I will, I'm just going for a quick run." He left the shop, got on his horse and hurried out of town.

...

By quick run, he meant until the sun was nearly gone.

The expansion of the sky was a calm gradient that started out a dull dark blue color color and stretched onto the horizon until it was a brilliant yellow. He knew that supper would likely be nearly ready, so the need to get back to the keep quickly was great.

Still panting from running, he hopped on his horse and rode her back into the city. He took the back way, knowing it was faster. He wanted to get home before he missed supper, or else his father wouldn't be pleased in the slightest. He would really prefer avoiding anymore trouble with the King.

Sonic knew his father was becoming increasingly stressed. The border was constantly being tested as soldiers tried to penetrate it. Mobius's soldiers were strong, but there was also the Acorn Kingdom to consider.

The country was being bombarded constantly these days. So many of the small farming villages near the border had been destroyed thus-far. Their countries' soldiers, mostly comprised of battle-mages, weren't used to fighting in battles. The kingdom has always been peaceful, so nobody ever attacked them. They made medicines, studied alchemy, practiced magic and everything along those lines. They didn't concentrate on their armies or soldiers, and their lack of energy into their armies was definitely showing now.

However, they were to become powerful allies. Their medicines and mage-doctors could cure any disease (which is how their country is so clean and healthy). Thus would provide Mobius' soldiers with strength and resistance against wounds and the sickness that came with the grueling conditions of war.

In return, Mobius would defend the Acorn Kingdom. They would provide soldiers in return for valuable magic and medicine.

The fact they weren't even allies already was ridiculous. Because Mobius's tendency to be "Proud Warriors" and nothing more, magic and alchemy was frowned upon. Even the enchanting of weapons was thought to be incredibly outlandish.

And, of course, the practice of the Dark Arts was absolutely forbidden (which was the darker side of magic which neither Mobius nor the Acorn Kingdom used).

That aside, the King was planning to create an alliance between the two very different countries to hopefully come to a agreement.

As Sonic thought about this, he didn't notice himself wondering aimlessly through the alleys and back-streets. People sat on crates and leaned against buildings, leering at him as he passed. They gazed at his horse and smirked.

He wondered why they were eyeing him like he was a five-course meal. He had his hood up and his cloak on, so he looked like any other citizen!

Unless... Sonic slowly realized that it was because his horse was obviously a pedigree. The saddle was beautiful too, carved with beautiful designs and trimmed with gold. Even if the blue Prince wore a cape and hood to hide his identity from the more dangerous citizens, his horse and saddle was a dead giveaway.

He decided that even if it was longer, he would have to trek along main street. He didn't like the looks he was getting from the ruffians.

As he turned around, it all happened very fast. Although he saw it coming his reflexes weren't as good when he was on top of a horse. A brown dog that had been watching him suddenly came jumping from the wall, dagger in hand. He slashed at Sonic's legs, and the blue Prince went stumbling to the ground. He felt the blood begin the stain his breeches, and he let out an exhale of pain. The horse neighed wildly and reared up, nearly crushing Sonic with her massive hooves. Another dog, this one gray and missing an ear, came forward from the other wall, quickly putting a blade to Sonic's throat while the other dog took the horse, pulling on her reins.

She easily pulled free before racing away down an alley.

The dog looked as if he was about to chase it, but the gray one barked at him, "Don't bother. We got the rider."

The brown one heaved and turned, coming over. He kneeled next to the blue Prince. "Nice horse you had ther." He growled.

Sonic wrinkled his nose. They both smelled horrible and their fur was disgusting. He wanted to dart away and use his speed to trip them up, but he cool feel the cool blade resting against his fur. He would have to wait and see if he could wriggle free.

The brown dog reached over, yanking off his hood. His eyes lit up as he saw their new prisoner, "'Ey, git a loada dis."

The gray one grinned, "Why if it ain't the Prince himself."

"Imagine the coin we'd git," The brown one panted greedily, his tongue flopping. Sonic felt his face get spattered with salvia. _Disgusting! _

"What are you doin' all the way down here in the slums? Come to pay us a visit?" He felt the blade press harder, threatening to slice skin. "Or maybe you come to make us rich?!"

Sonic snorted, "Unlikely. I just took the wrong street. You better let me go, or my father will have your heads on a pike."

They both roared in laughter. The brown one ceased laughter first and just glared at Sonic. "I ain't 'fraid of yer father. I ain't 'fraid of you neither."

"You should be."

"I think," he heard a click, followed by a blade sinking into the ground next to his face. "You should be 'fraid of us."

"Actually, don't be 'fraid of us." You should be 'fraid of Chmńi Krolestí**,** 'cause that's where you goin'!" He yowled in laughter. "Do you know how much they pay for unspoiled slaves, let alone the Prince and first-born of Mobius?!"

"We gon' be rich!" The gray one said, and they laughed like hyenas.

"Alright, let's tie 'em up. We'll leave the city once the sun sets." The gray one said to the brown one. "Then we'll head for the border."

For the first time in a long time Sonic feared for his life. No, for the first time in his life Sonic was scared of dying, for his own mortality. He felt the fear rise like bile, and he needed to get out, but the blade could slice his throat if he moved a muscle. He never even thought about people like this living in his city, under _his _nose. He knew there were bad people, but people that could kidnap others and send them away to be slaves?!

He knew what Chmńi Krolestí did to their slaves. He knew what they did to prisoners as well. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life in the torture chambers or being somebodies personal slave to torture.

He didn't want this.

As the brown one pulled out some rope and began tying his limbs, he began to formulate a plan. When the blade came off his throat, he darted forward and landed a punch on the brown one's nose. Then another, and another. His punches weren't strong, but it was enough to earn some yowls of pain from the other. While he was busy, the gray one was surprisingly quick. He had already grabbed a stone from the ground and smashed it against the back of Sonic's head.

He felt pain echo through his body as he collapsed forward. He felt dizzy. The whole world spun dramatically around him as he struggled to get a hold of vertigo.

The last thing he heard was the angry cursing coming from both the dogs. He prayed for his conscious to remain, but it dissipated quickly until it was replaced with the unknown blackness.

* * *

**guess who is showing up in the next chapter B) (it's about time i got this ship on the road)**


End file.
